Robert Reich

The Robert Reich Substack centers on dissecting the dynamics of power and its misuse in the political and corporate spheres, focusing on critiques of the Trump administration, the Republican Party's strategies, media integrity, and the influence of corporations and billionaires on democracy and public policy.

Political Analysis Media Critique Corporate Governance Election Dynamics Social Justice Democracy and Governance Legal Accountability Personal Perspectives

Top posts of the year

And their main takeaways

How Trump is exploiting our scarcest resource

19988 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Election Attention Media Candidates Campaigning
  1. Our attention is a scarce resource that is being exploited by individuals like Donald Trump for political gain.
  2. As demands on our attention increase from various sources like social media, our ability to focus elsewhere decreases.
  3. By dominating public attention through provocations, Trump can make other candidates, like Biden, appear weaker and less significant.

How the oligarchy shrank America’s middle class (Why American capitalism is so rotten, Part 8)

19752 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Labor Unions Economic Policy Income Inequality Corporate Governance
  1. The virtuous cycle of rising wages with productivity gains broke in the late 1970s, leading to stagnant incomes for most American workers.
  2. Corporate governance shifted in the 1980s, with a focus on maximizing shareholder returns, leading to massive job cuts and weakened worker bargaining power.
  3. Decline in union membership since the late 1970s has contributed to shrinking middle class as unions effectively negotiated better wages and benefits for workers.

Where in the world is Lloyd?

19025 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics Military Dictatorship
  1. The military chain of command is crucial in both democracies and dictatorships.
  2. Being aware of potential misuse of military power by political leaders is important.
  3. Historically, dictators heavily rely on the military to maintain power.
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Resurrecting Countervailing Power (Why American capitalism is so rotten, Part 9)

16509 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Economic System Political Power Policy decisions Political landscape
  1. American capitalism underwent a significant transformation post-World War II leading to economic challenges and inequality.
  2. Countervailing power was instrumental in balancing economic and political control in America after World War II.
  3. The rise of populism calls for establishing a new countervailing power based on progressive ideals to combat the influence of big money in politics and achieve economic and political control for the majority.

How to understand the politics of Israel and Palestine?

16254 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics Israel Palestine Conflict History Education
  1. Organizing for difficult subjects in universities is essential to foster open dialogue and avoid polarization.
  2. Collaborative teaching with diverse perspectives can create a more enriching and open-minded learning environment for students.
  3. Approaching the conflict between Israel and Palestine with a sense of tragedy can help students understand the complexity and motivations behind the narratives of both sides.

What do Dartmouth basketball and Tennessee’s VW plant have in common?

14308 implied HN points • 07 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Labor Unionization Income Inequality
  1. Dartmouth basketball team is on its way to becoming the first unionized sports program in the country.
  2. The United Auto Workers are making progress in organizing autoworkers at the Volkswagen plant in Tennessee.
  3. Unionization efforts in the U.S., supported by Biden's National Labor Relations Board, are gaining momentum and support is increasing across various sectors.

Sunday caption contest: Land Ho?

10967 implied HN points • 28 Jan 24
  1. Post about Sunday caption contest on Robert Reich's Substack
  2. Participants can submit captions for a chance to win
  3. Winners of the caption contest are announced weekly

Sunday caption contest: Grandchild’s curiosity

10102 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
  1. Sunday caption contest with a theme of grandchild's curiosity
  2. Readers can participate by submitting captions in the Comments
  3. Winners are announced weekly on Sundays

Office Hours: Will the Supreme Court drag its robes?

9807 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
  1. Timing is crucial in Trump's criminal trial for seeking to overturn the 2020 election.
  2. The Supreme Court's decision timeline may impact Trump's potential conviction before the 2024 election.
  3. A Trump conviction before Election Day could significantly influence the 2024 race.

Sunday caption contest: this way!

9237 implied HN points • 21 Jan 24
  1. Participate in the Sunday caption contest by submitting your caption in the Comments section by Monday at 9 pm PT.
  2. Last week's winner of the caption contest was Lorraine Evanoff with the caption "They're too busy eating their own to see that blue wave coming."
  3. Consider subscribing for a paid or gift subscription to support and get access to more content.

Sunday caption contest: pray

9139 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
  1. Robert Reich hosts a Sunday caption contest about praying where participants can submit captions to win
  2. Winners are announced weekly, and last week's winning caption was 'Too many good people did nothing,' by Rita Fuller
  3. The contest encourages engagement by inviting people to participate and leave comments to create a sense of community

Sunday caption contest: the currents

7193 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
  1. Sunday caption contest on Robert Reich's Substack
  2. Submit captions by Monday for a chance to win
  3. Last week's winning captions were about school shootings

Office Hours: What will you do if Trump steals the 2024 election?

6898 implied HN points • 24 Jan 24
  1. 41% of pro-Trump Americans may resort to violence if things continue as they are.
  2. Hypothetically, what if Trump steals the 2024 election?
  3. Consider the scenario where Trump wins in a close race through voter intimidation and rigging.

Sunday caption contest: the currents

6879 implied HN points • 14 Jan 24
  1. There is a Sunday caption contest happening
  2. Captions need to be submitted by Monday at a specific time
  3. Winners of the contest will be announced the following Sunday

Office Hours: Can Trump’s nomination be stopped?

6761 implied HN points • 17 Jan 24
  1. The post discusses whether Trump's nomination can be stopped.
  2. Written by Robert Reich and published on Jan 17, 2024.
  3. There is an option for a 7-day free trial to access full post archives.

Sunday caption contest: pray

5817 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
⛪ Faith & Spirituality
  1. The post is about a Sunday caption contest where people submit captions.
  2. Last week's winner was Rita Fuller with the caption 'Too many good people did nothing.'
  3. Paid subscribers get exclusive content and support the work being done.