Making America Work (Urban Institute Press)

Work. Hard work! And plenty of it. That is what has made the United States into the world's foremost economic superpower. But while we Americans value and respect work, we are also concerned about economic justice. We like to see all workers earn a fair day's pay for a fair day's work. And we like having a safety net to catch those who cannot compete successfully in our labor markets. America works because of this balance between the desire to reward work and our concerns about economic justice. But according to Jon Forman, America could work even better. In Making America Work, Forman explains how current government policies influence work and work behavior and makes the case for changing government tax, welfare, Social Security, pension, and labor market policies to encourage work and promote greater economic justice. It is a clear, provocative declaration of principles and a bold prescription for policies that restore and preserve the balance of work rewards and economic justice.

Jonathan Barry Forman has a national reputation for his research on tax and social welfare policy. He is the Alfred P. Murrah Professor of Law at the University of Oklahoma College of Law, where he teaches tax, pensions, and elder law. In addition to his dozens of scholarly publications, Professor Forman has a monthly column in the Journal Record newspaper of Oklahoma City. He has also published op-eds in Barron's, the Dallas Morning News, Pensions & Investments, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Washington Times, the Daily Oklahoman, and Tax Notes. Professor Forman has lectured around the world, testified before Congress, and served on numerous federal and state advisory committees. He is vice chair of the board of trustees of the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System, and he is active in the American Bar Association, and the Association of American Law Professors.
Professor Forman earned his law degree from the University of Michigan in 1978. He holds master's degrees in economics and psychology. Before entering academia, it was his privilege to serve in all three branches of the federal government, most recently as tax counsel to Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY).