As many economic analysts compare the current recession to the Great Depression, a new book club sponsored by ASU’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy is encouraging the community to examine this comparison and policy related to it more closely.
The book club works with two books that can be discussed online over the next few weeks leading up to a panel discussion and public dialogue April 12, ASU public policy research assistant Monica Stigler said.
The first book is titled “The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008” and is a basic primer on economics written in simple language.
The second book, “Down and Out in the Great Depression: Letters from the Forgotten Man,” is a collection of letters written by ordinary citizens to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, explaining their struggles during the Great Depression.
“We want to engage the public to talk about public policy. We’re hoping to spark dialogue,” Stigler said. “We want regular people to share their thoughts, feelings and experiences revolving around the recession here in Arizona.”
The online discussion forum is updated weekly with talking points to help participants get involved and prepare for the actual discussion, she said.
“We really want to put a face to the issues that are going on today, and ‘Down and Out’ does that by showing real experiences,” Stigler said.
The two-hour event next month will begin with a presentation by three experts on recession-related topics: economist and ASU professor Dennis Hoffman, historian and ASU professor Jannelle Warren-Findley and “Down and Out” author Robert S. McElvaine.
The presentation will be followed by open discussion between the audience and presenters.
“The forum is designed around books that are in turn designed to acquaint people with what it was like during the Great Depression years,” Hoffman said. “The point of interest for the audience would be to try to draw some parallels leading up to the fall of 2008 and the fall of 1929 and the subsequent policy action.”
Hoffman said he expects it to be an interesting discussion.
“It’s something I’m looking forward to and getting excited about,” he said. “I have to admit I get excited about some weird things, but I think this is relevant to students and there does seem to be a lot of interest [from] the students I’ve talked to about this particular subject.”
Stigler agreed that the discussion topics will be relevant to students.
“It’s particularly important because the policy choices we make today, regarding how we get out of the recession and plan for future, is really going to affect [students] in the future,” she said. “They are the ones that are going to be paying for it down the road.”
Undergraduate Student Government President Brendan O’Kelly said economic issues are already affecting students.
“Right now the state is trying to cut its way out of the recession primarily by cutting education,” O’Kelly said. “It’s hit higher education the most, especially at the three state universities, which is leading to tuition increases and surcharges.”
The event is free and open to the public, and students are encouraged to join and participate in the online discussions, Stigler said.
The Morrison Institute hopes to follow the event with other discussions on topics like sustainability, education and workforce development among others, Stigler said.
“We really hope we’re going to get a good cross-section of citizens,” she said. “We’re really encouraging students to come and participate.”
Reach the reporter at keshoult@asu.edu
