The Failed Southern Economic Development Model (with Chandra Childers)
Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer
Challenges of the Southern Economic Development Model
The chapter delves into the intentional Southern Economic Development Model implemented in former Confederacy states, focusing on low wages, minimal worker protections, regressive tax systems, and anti-union practices. It explores how the historical roots of this model play into systemic racism and how it has failed the residents of the region, leading to lower GDPs, skewed unemployment rates, and barriers to employment, especially for black men post-incarceration. The discussion also touches on the impact of state preemption policies on city-level initiatives and proposes federal interventions like infrastructure spending and fair wage policies as solutions to empower workers and mitigate the negative effects of the current economic model.
