Media Advisory: Economic Policy Institute, Washington Center for Equitable Growth to Host Thomas Piketty for Discussion of “Capital in the Twenty-First Century”

On Tuesday, April 15, at 9:30 a.m., the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) and the Washington Center for Equitable Growth will host economist Thomas Piketty to discuss the findings of his new best-selling book, Capital in the Twenty-First Century.

Piketty’s presentation will be followed by a panel moderated by Heather Boushey, Executive Director and Chief Economist at Equitable Growth, with Josh Bivens, EPI Research and Policy Director, Nobel Laureate Robert M. Solow, Professor Emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Betsey Stevenson, Member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers.

What: Presentation and panel discussion of “Capital in the Twenty-First Century”

Who: Economist and author of “Capital in the Twenty-First Century” Thomas Piketty

Member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers Betsey Stevenson

Nobel Laureate and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor Emeritus Robert M. Solow

EPI Research and Policy Director Josh Bivens

Moderated by Equitable Growth Executive Director and Chief Economist Heather Boushey

When: Tuesday, April 15, 2014 at 9:30 a.m.

Where: Economic Policy Institute
1333 H St. NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005

RSVP by emailing news@epi.org

Piketty examines data from more than twenty countries spanning in some cases as far back as the 18^th century to assess the dynamics of income and wealth distribution, with a particular focus on the role of capital ownership as a driver of long-run trends in income inequality. He argues that when the rate of return on capital exceeds the rate of economic growth, as it has for most of history, then rising income inequality becomes inevitable. He says that if this rising inequality is allowed to continue unchecked, the results could be deep political and social disruption. While Piketty notes that inequality has different dimensions across countries, he concludes with a recommendation: significantly increase the progressivity of both income and wealth taxation. Given the extraordinarily globalized market for capital, he further argues that the reach of such taxes must be global as well.

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