Finance

Investment is the oxygen of economic growth. As such, the impact made by companies that exhibit good corporate social responsibility is built upon the amount of investment capital directed towards them. There is a class of investors who support good corporate citizens, as well as companies whose operational behavior demonstrates a commitment to social justice and progress. This strategy, called sustainable and responsible (or socially responsible) investment, or SRI, seeks to maximize both financial and social returns.

The mortgage mess isn't going away. Loans, sold as many as 12 times before ending up in a complex security or on a financial institution's balance sheet, have been found with key legal paperwork misplaced or incorrectly transferred. If you've followed the issue, you know documentation problems prevent mortgage servicers from foreclosing on homes: They lack proof of their legal right to do so. It's a symptom of underlying irregularities, not the end of the story.

Click here to download the slideshow, "A Recovery at Risk."

More news of a weak U.S. economy keeps rolling in. The Obama Administration and many in Congress are calling for a fresh round of stimulus spending. But Washington’s $1.3 trillion annual deficit coupled with a fiscally weary electorate means the stimulus advocates may finally be out of room to spend. Unless, of course, they take advantage of a major accounting loophole that can make the costs of federal programs virtually disappear.

The Great Recession has put enormous strain on the American social contract, exposing not only the many holes in our social safety net but also the weaknesses in its basic design and philosophy.

It has been widely reported that China has dramatically reduced its purchases of US Treasuries over the past year.  But it would be wrong to conclude that China has stopped intervening in currency markets or even that it is dumping the dollar.

The Great Recession has exposed numerous flaws in our social contract – weaknesses that existed prior to the economic downturn – highlighting the need for changes in our system. This series of policy briefs explores the stresses on our social contract, and the policy changes that must be made to mend it. The six-part series includes:

• Overview: The Great Recession exposes flaws in the American Social Contract.

The first step in treating a severe illness is making the correct diagnosis.  Since passing the stimulus package in early 2009, President Obama and his economics team have groped for a good explanation of why the economy remains stuck in a long-term slump, and in particular, why job growth has remained so slow.  The answers have variously been high health care costs, fiscal profligacy by the Bush administration, recklessness on Wall Street, excess dependence on foreign oil,  and a poor education system.