The economy was a big influence on the 2014 midterm elections.
In exit polls, 64% of voters who said the economy is either "poor" or "not so good" voted for Republicans, while almost three-quarters of respondents who said the economy is "good" voted for Democratic candidates. The results are interesting in light of the economic signs we’ve seen in recent months. Markets are up. Gas prices are down. Confidence is up. GDP is up. And yet … somehow, it doesn’t quite feel like boom times. Could that be because of persistent wage stagnation? Simply put, is the U.S. economy currently good or bad? Our guests say it’s anything but simple.
And, China’s scrubbing the air for President Obama and the APEC Summit. But will the U.S. election be the real cloud? Our panel will examine U.S.-China relations as the two countries experience a reversal of economic fortune. We’ll also analyze the impact of domestic politics on the president’s position of power overseas. Panelists include:
- Lisa Cook, associate professor of Economics and International Relations at Michigan State University
- Avik Roy, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute
- Roben Farzad, host of public radio's Full Disclosure,
- Thomas Christensen, professor of World Politics of Peace and War and director of the China and the World Program at Princeton University
By now, many of us have seen the #pointergate Internet memes. We had a good laugh at the absurdity, but then the story got real, very quickly. Navell Gordon, the man in the photo with Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges, and Anthony Newby--both from Neighborhoods Organizing for Change--will bring us the story behind #pointergate. Public interest lawyer Bryan Stevenson and Mayor Ed Pawlowski of Allentown, PA will also bring their point of views to bear on the controversy.
Stevenson will stay in #nerdland for a conversation about his new memoir, "Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption," where he details his lifelong effort to combat police misconduct, mass incarceration, abuse of the death penalty, and other miscarriages of justice.
All that, plus, actor and comedian Aaron Beelner will join Harris-Perry to discuss discrimination and stereotypes that little people face in their everyday lives.
Be sure to read what we’ve linked above, and watch Melissa Harris-Perry Saturday at 10am ET on msnbc! And don’t forget to tell us what story is most important to you and why on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #nerdland.