Robert Reich

Robert Reich
United States Department of Labor · Public domain · source
Name	Robert Reich
Birth date	March 24, 1946
Birth place	Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
Alma mater	Harvard College, Magdalen College, Oxford, Yale Law School
Occupation	Economist, professor, author, policymaker
Notable works	Aftershock (book), Saving Capitalism (book), The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix It (book)
Awards	Emmy Award, George Polk Award

Robert Reich Robert Reich is an American economist, professor, author, and public intellectual who served as the U.S. Secretary of Labor in the administration of Bill Clinton. He is known for his scholarship at institutions such as Harvard University, Yale University, and University of California, Berkeley, for his bestselling books on income distribution and labor policy, and for producing and appearing in documentaries and media addressing inequality, public policy, and democratic institutions.

Early life and education

Born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania to a family of Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany, Reich spent part of his childhood in Pennsylvania and Boston, Massachusetts. He attended Harvard College, where he studied social studies and was involved with student organizations connected to civil rights movements such as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and figures like Martin Luther King Jr. After Harvard, he was a Rhodes Scholarship recipient at Magdalen College, Oxford studying politics, philosophy, and economics, and later earned a law degree from Yale Law School. During his formative years he interacted with policymakers and scholars linked to John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and advisors associated with Great Society programs.

Academic and government career

Reich began his career in public service and academia with positions in the U.S. Department of Labor and as an aide to Senator Edward M. Kennedy and Senator George McGovern. He served on commissions and councils connected to trade and labor, including work intersecting with North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations and discussions influenced by organizations like the International Labour Organization and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. In 1993 Reich was appointed United States Secretary of Labor by Bill Clinton, overseeing labor policy, workforce training programs, and initiatives linked to AmeriCorps and Workforce Investment Act frameworks. After leaving Cabinet, he joined the faculties of Harvard Kennedy School, Brandeis University, and University of California, Berkeley School of Public Policy, where he taught courses drawing on research published by outlets such as the Brookings Institution, the Economic Policy Institute, and the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Political activism and policy positions

Reich has been an outspoken advocate on issues of income inequality, labor rights, antitrust enforcement, and campaign finance reform. He has critiqued policy trends associated with administrations from Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush to contemporary debates involving Donald Trump, arguing for strengthened protections similar to those proposed by progressive lawmakers like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. Reich has supported proposals to reform taxation modeled on plans debated in Congress and promoted regulatory measures influenced by historical antitrust actions involving firms such as Standard Oil and proceedings before the Federal Trade Commission. He has testified before committees of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, collaborated with advocacy groups including MoveOn.org, Center for American Progress, and Economic Policy Institute, and engaged with labor unions like the AFL–CIO and Service Employees International Union on minimum wage campaigns and collective bargaining initiatives.

Media, writing, and documentary work

A prolific author, Reich wrote widely read books including The Work of Nations (book), Saving Capitalism (book), and Aftershock (book), many of which became bestsellers and were discussed on programs such as Meet the Press and The Daily Show. He has written columns for publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Guardian, and contributed analyses to journals connected to Foreign Affairs and The Atlantic. Reich produced and appeared in documentary films such as Inequality for All and Saving Capitalism, which screened at festivals like the Sundance Film Festival and were reviewed in outlets like Variety and The New Yorker. His media presence includes appearances on networks CNN, MSNBC, PBS, and engagement with digital platforms like YouTube and Twitter to disseminate lectures and animated explainers about economic policy, taxation, and democratic governance.

Later career, teaching, and public engagements

In later years Reich continued teaching at University of California, Berkeley, directing public policy programs and mentoring graduate students who went on to work in institutions such as the Federal Reserve, International Monetary Fund, and various state governments. He served on advisory boards for nonprofits and foundations including the Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, and cultural institutions like the Smithsonian Institution. Reich remained active in public debates over trade agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, participated in civic fora at venues like the Aspen Institute and Brookings Institution, and received honors including recognition from the Emmy Awards for his documentary work. He continues to lecture internationally at universities and think tanks, contributing to discussions involving policymakers from European Commission, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and leaders associated with parties spanning Democratic Party coalitions and progressive movements.

Category:American economists Category:United States Secretaries of Labor Category:Harvard University faculty Category:University of California, Berkeley faculty