LEP Launch Incoming
A few notes ahead of going public
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Hello!
Thank you for joining the Library of Economic Possibility’s newsletter – we’re excited you’re with us for the journey ahead.
We’re reaching out because LEP is finally ready to begin its journey, in public. We currently have a private beta group test-driving our prototype. We expect to release it to the public by year’s end.
A few notes in anticipation of LEP’s release:
First: if this email showed up in your Promotions inbox, or somewhere else difficult to find, now is a good time to fix that.
Second: since it might’ve been a while since you joined, a quick reminder as to what, and why, LEP is:
America finds itself in a time between paradigms. The variety of capitalism that rose to power in the 1970’s – which we call neoliberalism1 – is dying, while the new, without a name or a coherent platform, struggles to be born.
The Library of Economic Possibility aims to help foster the coherence, and rigor, of what comes next. Our theory of change is evolutionary by nature, and evolution makes no moral arguments; if it works, it spreads.
Our starting point is that neoliberalism is not working2. Workers are falling behind, monopolies are crowding out small businesses, while rates of productivity and innovation are dwindling. We believe the case for change can – and must – reach across ideological lines, by showing that alternative possibilities outcompete neoliberalism on its own terms. We believe a faithful, comprehensive presentation of the research suggests that new ideas are not only necessary, but more capable of delivering on even the orthodox criteria of growth and stability.
LEP provides a home for these possibilities, where you can discover and learn about them through our collection of policy reports, or even use our knowledge-base to power your own research. Our mission is to build a platform that empowers bold ideas with potential for deep change by bringing all the research together, in one place, and making it accessible to all.
As we develop, we’ll add new policies, and new ways of searching our database for the economic knowledge you need.
Third: much of LEP’s success will depend on discovering collaborators, strategic partners, potential donors, and thoughtful critics. So when we launch, we hope that you’ll help us get the word out!
Finally: we’ve been working with a wonderful illustrator for the site. We’re excited to share them all, but for now, here’s one of our policy report header images. Any idea which one?
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We’re excited to have such an inspiring community already onboard, and look forward to building LEP, together.
We’ll be in touch soon 🎉
We’re wary of the word, given its wide array of uses and implications. For a brief definition, see here.
Three critiques we find incisive on this issue: Konczal, Milani, and Evans' The Empirical Failures of Neoliberalism; Mazzucato and Jacobs' Rethinking Capitalism; and Larry Kramer's letter to the Hewlett Foundation's board of directors, entitled Beyond Neoliberalism: Rethinking Political Economy.