Amid record corporate profits and an uneven economic recovery, public opinion nonetheless suggests increasing economic anxiety among middle-class Americans. A recent survey reveals growing pessimism among American workers, disengagement from the public policy conversation, despair over the economic prospects of the next generation, and a virtually universal demand for government action.

On July 13, Brookings will host a discussion to address the implications of public attitudes toward government's ability to tackle critical issues.

The Brookings Institution's Opportunity 08 project is a partnership with ABC News designed to broaden discussion of the policy challenges facing the next American president.

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