February 19, 2008
Sponsored by the Center for American Progress (CAP), The Future Direction of US International Economic Policy brought several distinguished experts together to discuss a recent report, “Virtuous Circles: Strengthening Broad-Based Global Progress”, part of CAP’s Progressive Growth series on the next administration’s economic policy. The report’s lead author, Richard Samans focused the discussion on what the future of US international trade policy should be given the current context of slowing US economic growth, a constrained middle class and dramatic changes in the world economy, particularly the rapid increase of China and India’s involvement and the corresponding growth in the international labor pool. His three-pronged approach incorporated trade, development, and monetary policy. The effects that information-communication technology, policy regulation, capital mobility, and global labor supply are having on different countries’ living standards were incorporated into Saman’s outline of key steps toward fostering stable growth and economic equality in the United States as well as abroad.