"There are a number of weaknesses [in the U.S. economic system] that are getting worse such as the complexity of the tax code, the ineffectiveness of the political system, fiscal policy, and the K-12 education system,“ said Harvard Business professor Jan Rivkin. In this interview, Rivkin and education expert Paul Vallas prescribe ways for the US to regain its economic edge.

Historically, economic downturns have provided fertile ground for entrepreneurship. Is the same true during the current economic crisis? Amy Wilkinson, who has been studying and reporting on the vital world of entrepreneurs, describes how public policy can spur entrepreneurship and job creation.

Deliberate manipulation of foreign exchange rates by a number of countries is one of the most egregious of all unfair trade practices today. By maintaining an artificially low exchange rate, a country in effect imposes an extra charge on imports (equivalent to a tariff) and also gains an unfair trade advantage in the U.S. and third country markets. While this practice has long been recognized as unfair, international trade rules have no effective provisions to address this issue.