Will the Economy Determine the 2012 Elections?

Most political observers and pollsters say the outcome of the fall elections will hinge on the economy.  But what does that mean?  How do the unemployment figures, the stock market performance, housing prices and the European debt crisis influence Main Street voters?  Do voters on opposite sides of the growing income gap view the economy—and their election choices—differently? To what extent do the voters hold the incumbent responsible for a weak economy, and how are other issues influencing the outcome?

On Oct. 12, hear from Robert Kuttner, award-winning national commentator on economic policy and this year’s Wayne Morse Chair at the University of Oregon’s Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics.  Kuttner is founder and co-editor of The American Prospect magazine and a founder of the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C.   He is the author of nine books on economic policy including The Squandering of America:  How the Failure of our Politics Undermines our Prosperity.  He is a long-time columnist for Business Week and his writing has appeared in a wide range of publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The New Yorker and Harvard Business Review.