The Obama Effect

Is there an "Obama effect" leading to a new future for inequality?

Table of Contents (Spring 2010)

EDITOR'S NOTE

Editor's Note

Intervention

Spotlight On...Building Educated Leaders for Life
Kendra Bischoff talks with BELL's Tiffany Cooper Gueye about a proven model for promoting academic success in the summertime.
More Than "A is for Alligator": How to Ensure Early Childhood Systems Help Break the Cycle of Poverty
It is fashionable these days to advocate for further investments in preschool programs to equalize opportunity. Lisa Guernsey considers the evidence and asks how preschool programs can achieve even more.

Research in Brief

New Research Developments
The shrinking middle class; a surprising downside to desegregating schools; the dramatic poverty-reducing effects of saving; and other cutting-edge research.

THE OBAMA EFFECT: A NEW FUTURE FOR INEQUALITY?

Fits and Starts? Obama and the Transformation of American Inequality
Jennifer L. Hochschild considers whether President Obama can bring about a major transformation in inequality even in an era of increasing opposition and looming problems.
Obama and the Great Progressive Disconnect
Lawrence D. Bobo asks why so many progressives are disenchanted and ignore Obama's achievements in reducing income, racial, and ethnic inequalities.
Beyond Leveling the Playing Field: Can the "Obama Effect" Reshape Gender Equality?
Joan C. Williams and Stephanie Bornstein describe the ways in which Obama has already leveled the gender "playing field"--and may be poised to bring about even more fundamental changes.
Within Reach: Reducing LGBT Inequality in the Age of Obama
Patrick J. Egan discusses Obama's disappointing first year on LGBT inequality as well as a pathway for overcoming his poor start.

Trends

The Income Rollercoaster: Rising Income Volatility and Its Implications
The middle class longs for a steadily growing income that doesn't swing wildly from year to year. Karen Dynan describes how that ideal is increasingly a thing of the past.