Theresa Ghilarducci, Bernard L. and Irene Schwartz Chair in Economic Policy Analysis and professor of Economics, was featured as an op-ed contributor in the September 26th edition of the New York Times.  Her piece, titled, “Save Pensions,” discusses the failure of the government to protect older workers and retirees from significant losses to their 401(k) accounts during the recent financial crisis. 

A retirement security expert, Professor Ghilarducci calls for the government to reinstate a more secure retirement plan for workers based on pension model that would be insulated from the fluctuations of the market.  In her recent book, When I'm 64: The Plot Against Pensions and the Plan to Save Them, Ghilarducci proposes a mixed system composed of Social Security, employer defined-benefit pension plans, and a new type of personal retirement savings account known as a Guaranteed Retirement Account (GRA). 

Jim Miller, chair of the Committee on Liberal Studies and professor of Political Science, contributed to a Wall Street Journal article published on September 27.  The article, titled, “Hail to the Candidates,” focuses on the emergence of candidate-specific lyrics throughout a wide variety of music genres during the presidential campaign.  Professor Miller commentated on the use of popular music for campaigns, explaining, "This is an old American tradition, revived with D.I.Y. flair for the 2008 cycle.”