Building a better world

It's time to prioritize well-being. Looking at data from both wealthy and poor countries, Carol Graham assesses the human costs of the pandemic and shares several findings on mental health that can inform policymaking during COVID-19 and future crises. 

Tackling the inequality pandemic. While the immediate priority is to protect disadvantaged and vulnerable populations from the health and economic impacts of COVID-19, policies should also seek to address the structural drivers of inequality, Zia Qureshi argues. 

Rebooting the climate agenda. The world has been tasked with the monumental challenge of simultaneously tackling COVID-19 and the climate crisis. Amar Bhattacharya says the decisions made now will be crucial in shaping the future.

For more policy ideas to build back better after COVID-19, explore the full series of essays from our Global Economy and Development program.

Economic opportunity in America

America agrees on raising the minimum wage. The federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 an hour since 2009. But with COVID-19 shedding light on the importance of essential workers, there is now growing momentum to increase it, Molly Kinder says. 

Job pathways for unemployed and low-wage workers. The coronavirus crisis is creating some new opportunities in digital-heavy occupations. But many of America's hardest-hit workers don't have the pathways to transition to these in-demand jobs. Marcela Escobari, Ian Seyal, and Carlos Daboin explain how companies and policymakers can respond.

The middle class before and during the pandemic. The American middle class has hustled and sacrificed to live up to their own definitions of a good spouse, worker, and parent. Hear stories from across the nation in a new report from Jennifer Silva, Isabel Sawhill, Morgan Welch, and Tiffany Ford.

Education after the pandemic

Unprecedented change is needed. The 2020 school year posed many more obstacles than usual, but it could simultaneously open the door for vital innovation. Elias Blinkoff, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, and Helen Shwe Hadani explain how.

Transforming school systems. "It is hard to imagine there will be another moment in history when the central role of schooling in the economic, social, and political prosperity and stability of nations is so obvious and well understood by the general population." This opportunity should not be wasted, Emiliana Vegas and Rebecca Winthrop argue.

The role community schools can play. From families to food banks to employers, the pandemic has unleashed educational support from a wide range of actors outside school walls. Kristen Harper, Sarah Jonas, and Rebecca Winthrop discuss the importance of this development.

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