By Rachel Goldfarb, originally published on Next New Deal
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Digital Divide Exacerbates U.S. Inequality (Financial Times)
David Crow quotes Roosevelt Institute Fellow Susan Crawford on how the digital divide contributes to inequality in light of new data on broadband access throughout the country. There are still 31 million households in the U.S. without a home or mobile broadband subscription.
Susan Crawford, who served as Mr Obama’s special assistant for technology and innovation in 2009, warned: “we are creating two Americas where the wealthy have access . . . while others are left on a bike path, unable to join in the social and economic benefits that the internet brings”.
It had been thought that the rural make-up of much of the US was the main factor in a national broadband subscription rate that is just 73.4 per cent, behind other developed nations such as the UK and Germany, which have rates of 88 per cent. About 67 per cent of households in rural areas have broadband internet service, compared to 75 per cent of urban households.
But the new Census Bureau statistics show a huge disparity among US cities and towns, with a gap of 65 percentage points between those with the highest and lowest subscription rates.
Follow below the fold for more.
High-income Households Pay a Large Share of US Taxes—But This Doesn’t Make Our Tax System Progressive (Working Economics)
Joshua Smith draws on a recent blog post by Roosevelt Institute Fellow Mike Konczal to consider what we call a progressive tax system, and whether it lives up to its billing.
Lobbyists, Bearing Gifts, Pursue Attorneys General (NYT)
Eric Lipton investigates corporations' extensive lobbying of attorneys general throughout the country. In many cases, the lobbyists represent corporations under investigation.
Fed Set to End QE3, But Not the QE Concept (WSJ)
Pedro da Costa says that the Federal Reserve is almost certain to end the current bond-buying program, but this last resort option will remain in the policy tool kit.
Students Pressure Harvard Over Safety at a University-Owned Hotel (Bloomberg Businessweek)
Student protests at Harvard support workers' attempts to unionize, reports Natalie Kitroeff. The hotel reported 75 percent more on-the-job injuries than the statewide average last year.
New on Next New Deal
It's Essential the Federal Reserve Discusses Inequality
Roosevelt Institute Fellow Mike Konczal responds to right-wing critics who say Janet Yellen shouldn't talk about inequality, offering five reasons why it's actually integral to the monetary policy debate.
California Community Colleges Building the Workforce of Tomorrow
Rachel Kanakaole, head of the San Bernadino Valley Community College chapter of the Campus Network, examines a new program offering career-focused bachelor's degrees at campuses like hers.