Building on three sold-out years, the vibrant Oxford-style public policy debate series, Intelligence Squared U.S., arrives at the Skirball Center for ten provocative and informative live debates on hot-topic issues of the day.
Buy American/Hire American Policies will Backfire
Any project funded by February’s $789 billion stimulus package is meant to use only US-made steel and manufactured goods. Any financial institution receiving bail out funds must give preference to citizens. Will these policies backfire? Opponents say these policies will have little direct impact on job creation, and could have very harmful repercussions by triggering a global trade war in which each country seeks to “beggar its neighbor” in a vicious cycle of economic decline. Proponents argue that these policies focus taxpayer money to yield the biggest benefit for American families, they help American business to compete with cheap foreign labor, and that governments the world over already favor their domestic industries. Are we subsidizing the inefficient, or sparking a much needed boost to the economy?
Panelists for the motion:
Jagdish Bhagwati, Douglas Irwin and Susan C. Schwab
Panelists against the motion:
Leo W. Gerard, John R. (Rick) MacArthur and Jeff Madrick
Jagdish Bhagwati is University Professor, Economics and Law, at Columbia University and senior fellow in International Economics at the Council on Foreign Relations. Douglas Irwin is the Robert E. Maxwell Professor of Arts and Sciences in the Department of Economics at Dartmouth College. Susan Schwab served as United States Trade Representative (USTR) from 2006-2009. As USTR, Ambassador Schwab was a member of President George W. Bush's cabinet and served as his principal advisor, negotiator and spokesperson on international trade and related issues. Jeff Madrick is a regular contributor to the New York Review of Books, and a former economics columnist for the New York Times. He is editor of Challenge Magazine, visiting professor of humanities at The Cooper Union, and senior fellow at the Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis. John R. MacArthur is president and publisher of Harper's Magazine, the oldest continuously published monthly magazine in America. He has served in this role since 1983. Leo Gerard is International President of the United Steelworkers, the dominant union in paper, forestry products, steel, aluminum, tire and rubber, glass, chemicals and petroleum.
For more information please visit: www.iq2us.org
John Donvan, correspondent for ABC News Nightline, returns to moderate the IQ2US series. The debates can be watched on the Bloomberg Television ® network, are aired by NPR® on more than 185 stations and podcasts are available from iTunes. Newsweek is the IQ2US media sponsor for the 2009/2010 season.
