The great rebuild

The Covid-19 pandemic is a tragedy, a massive policy failure, and an existential threat to the livelihood and health of millions of Americans — with the pain disproportionality falling on Black Americans.

A problem this big demands a bold solution.

With more than 30 million cases worldwide, more than 200,000 Americans dead, millions of US jobs eliminated, and schools and businesses shuttered, half measures won’t cut it. It didn’t have to be this way. However, there is still much we can do to recover — and not just recover, but rebuild.

Tapping the voices of prominent American thinkers, economists, and policymakers, The Great Rebuild imagines how we could marshal the power of the federal government and the potential of its citizens to fight back against the catastrophic effects of Covid-19, and in the process create a system steeped in fairness, inclusion, and sustainability.

The Great Rebuild is made possible thanks to support from Omidyar Network, a social impact venture that works to reimagine critical systems and the ideas that govern them, and to build more inclusive and equitable societies. All Great Rebuild coverage is editorially independent and produced by our journalists.

How to build a better American economy

A blueprint exists for a more inclusive, successful nation that invests in the well-being of its citizens. We only have to look to the past.

by Zachary D. Carter

We can end America’s unemployment nightmare

The problem with our social safety net is clear. The solution is, too.

by Emily Stewart

Young people are the new corps of engineers the US has been waiting for

We have more than enough work to go around for the next generation if we address one of our nation’s biggest problems: infrastructure.

by Andrew Yang

The financial case for defunding the police

It’s time to ask why we continue to spend millions of taxpayer dollars on police misconduct lawsuits and billions more on policing that yields poor outcomes.

by Sean Collins

Building housing — lots of it — will lay the foundation for a new future

A massive boom in new construction would create countless jobs and help finally end the legacy of racist housing policies.

by Matthew Yglesias

The future of the economy hinges on child care

We must bail out the industry that allows millions of parents to work.

by Anna North

Andrew Yang on 2020, UBI, and fixing government

The former presidential candidate discusses universal basic income, artificial intelligence, and his next job in politics.

by Ezra Klein

How to decarbonize America — and create 25 million jobs

The US has the technology to decarbonize by 2035. Here’s a plan to do it.

By Ezra Klein

What it would take to end child poverty in America

Rep. Barbara Lee on why rebuilding the economy should mean investing in our kids.

By Ezra Klein

What would Keynes do?

What the 20th century’s most influential economist can teach us about rebuilding the US economy.

By Ezra Klein

The failed dream of the American small business

Small businesses were once pillars of communities, but economic and systemic forces left many fighting for survival. Then came the pandemic.

By Laura Entis

Party of One is a collaborative creative studio founded by Melissa Deckert and Nicole Licht, based in Brooklyn, New York. Through combined experience in fine arts and traditional design, Party of One creates compelling visuals with an emphasis on unique and often handcrafted prop design, styling, and sets.

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