College Education and the Middle Class, Inclusive Growth Policies for the Poor, and More

July 3, 2020

Editor’s note: In observance of Independence Day in the U.S., there will be no Brookings Brief on Saturday. Look for the next edition in your inbox on Monday, July 6.

Using data from 1980 to 2017, Bradley Hardy and Dave Marcotte examine the role of college education as a bridge to the U.S. middle class and discuss how it has changed over the years. Their research also looks at how demographic factors interact with education to predict entry into and exit out of the middle class.

Over 700 million people live on less than $1.90 a day and over 72% of them reside in Africa. With the COVID-19 pandemic threatening to push more into extreme poverty, Djeneba Doumbia explains how good governance can help improve the income of the poor and decrease poverty.

“What the Palestinian people desperately need is a clear statement—a definition upon which we can legitimately pursue our national aspirations.” Brookings Distinguished Fellow and former Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority Salam Fayyad addresses Israel’s annexation plans.

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