The Wall and the Bridge

“Given the tight global labour market, [Hubbard’s] points on training workers—that corporations benefit in the long term by investing in the development of their workers—are timely. The upshot is that to flourish, we all need to build bridges. Government policy must play a central role, while businesses must invest in its people and communities.”—Financial Times

“Those who gain from change need to compensate the losers. But ‘compensation is not a check from a gainer to the loser, but a basic principle that support for preparation (opportunity) and reconnection (social insurance) must accompany market acceptance of change. It preserves both the gains of market capitalism and dynamism, and popular support for those gains.’ Hubbard’s support for such ideas is to me surprising, important and correct.”—Martin Wolf, The Economist, “Best New Books on Economics”

“In the tortured partisan debate on economic policy, it is a rare pleasure to find a superb scholar such as Glenn Hubbard framing issues from the center.”—Kenneth Rogoff, Harvard University

“Glenn Hubbard’s rare blend of a keen mind, a facile pen, and copious government experience makes him a voice worth listening to. I always do, even when we disagree. The Wall and the Bridge is a great read—packed with good ideas and sprightly writing.”—Alan S. Blinder, Princeton University

“When technological change and globalization in recent decades brought frustration over the resulting losses to jobs and communities, there were no guardrails to get these workers back on track. As this compelling book shows, our nation is going to need bridges to help people get through the unavoidable transformations.”—Edmund Phelps, 2006 Nobel Laureate in Economics and author of Mass Flourishing