An Opportunity to Build a Better Society

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Glove on empty street of New York City during Coronavirus quarantine lockdown

"Even in the depths of a global pandemic and recession, climate change has not stopped. The atmosphere is still warming, sea levels are still rising, and storms are still brewing, despite temporary emissions dips and feel-good stories about cleaner air and water," Joseph Kane writes.

In a new research brief below, Kane calls on local leaders to invest in resilient infrastructure and to recognize the vulnerabilities and inequities in our built environment, particularly for America's lower-income households and communities of color.

Also in this edition, our experts offer ways to build a better society during and after the crisis, examine some of the challenges facing America's unemployed, and discuss the Trump administration's response to the pandemic.

Building a better society

An opportunity to build local climate resilience. The COVID-19 pandemic has left a swift and severe impact on many places, but America's climate challenges continue to mount as well. Joseph Kane says now is the time for change.

Focusing on disability in the tech response to COVID-19. Technology has great potential to help disabled people during the coronavirus crisis, but applications must consider the social, environmental, and political factors at play, Lydia X.Z. Brown argues.

COVID-19 presents a world reordering moment. Whether it's Trump or Biden, the next U.S. administration must work to build an international coalition to end the coronavirus crisis and shape the aftermath, Thomas Wright and Robert Blackwill write.

Europe must lead a global green recovery. Today, EU leaders reached a deal on a COVID-19 recovery package, but there are few details available about climate spending in the agreement. Last month, David Victor explained why European leadership on the environment is so important.

Job loss in America

Replace the Paycheck Protection Program. The PPP hasn't preserved many paychecks. A recent study found that PPP-eligible small businesses laid people off just as quickly as other businesses. Joshua Gotbaum outlines existing bipartisan proposals in Congress to replace the program.

Hunger and financial hardship. A new survey from the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis goes beyond official unemployment and job loss figures to show just how affected families are struggling. Mathieu Despard, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Yung Chun, and Stephen Roll share key findings.

Unemployment insurance amid COVID-19. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act expanded the unemployment insurance system to provide relief to out of work Americans, but a number of the benefits will expire on July 31 unless Congress renews them. Manuel Alcalá Kovalski and Louise Sheiner provide a helpful explainer on unemployment insurance before and during the pandemic.

The Trump administration's response

Anti-immigration policies won't fix the economy. President Trump's order to block hundreds of thousands of immigrants from working in the United States will not improve unemployment for American citizens and it will not aid the nation's economic recovery. Britta Glennon explains why.

COVID-19 and Trump's reelection campaign. "The more the 2020 election turns into a referendum on President Trump as crisis manager, the worse the outcome will be for him." William Galston provides analysis on the latest polls between Trump and Biden.

What the pandemic reveals about governance. Poor management of the pandemic in the United States correlates with the country's declining governance over the years compared with many European countries, Daniel Kaufmann says.

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