Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates Income Inequality At NYC's Kaufman Center, October 22nd

Income inequality has been on the rise for decades. In the last 30 years, the wages of the top 1% have grown by 154%, while the bottom 90% has seen growth of only 17%. When President Obama addressed the issue during his last State of the Union address, he took the numbers as signs that America needed to work to strengthen its middle class and increase class mobility. But others contend that income inequality is a positive indicator of a dynamic and robust economy that, in the end -- through job creation and industrial innovation -- helps everyone.

On October 22, award-winning debate series Intelligence Squared U.S. (IQ2US) will host a debate on the motion "Income Inequality Impairs The American Dream of Upward Mobility." Four authorities - including a "one-percenter" on each side - will debate whether the deck is stacked against the poor and middle classes or if the existence of the extremely wealthy is a catalyst for job creation and economic expansion.

Arguing for the motion:

· Elise Gould, Senior Economist and Dir. of Health Policy Research, Economy Policy Institute Gould's research areas include wages, poverty, inequality, economic mobility and health care. She is a co-author of 'The State of Working America, 12th Edition'. Gould authored a chapter on health in 'The State of Working America 2008/09'; has been published in The Chronicle of Higher Education and Challenge Magazine; and has written for academic journals including Health Economics and Health Affairs.

· Nick Hanauer, Entrepreneur & Venture Capitalist Hanauer is one of the most successful entrepreneurs and investors in the Northwest. He's managed, founded or financed over 30 companies, creating aggregate market value of tens of billions of dollars for Amazon.com, Aquantive Inc., venture capital firm Second Avenue Partners and others. Hanauer has published two national bestsellers, 'The True Patriot' (2007) and 'The Gardens of Democracy' (2010), with co-author Eric Liu.

Arguing against the motion:

· Edward Conard, Visiting Scholar, AEI & Former Partner, Bain Capital Conard is a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and the author of the New York Times bestseller 'Unintended Consequences: Why Everything You've Been Told About the Economy Is Wrong' (2012). Prior to writing his book, Conard was a senior managing director at Bain Capital, where he headed the New York office and was responsible for the acquisitions of large industrial companies.

· Scott Winship, Fellow, Manhattan Institute Winship is the Walter B. Wriston Fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Previously a fellow at the Brookings Institution, his areas of expertise include living standards and economic mobility, inequality, and insecurity. Earlier in his career, Winship was research manager of the Economic Mobility Project of The Pew Charitable Trusts and a senior policy advisor at Third Way.

Before the debate, audience members will vote on the motion; afterward, the audience votes again. The team that moves the most voters to its side will be the winning team in the debate. People can also weigh in online here: http://bit.ly/1sRoqgl

The debate will also stream live online, then air soon after as part of the syndicated NPR show "Intelligence Squared U.S." On October 22, online viewers can tune in here (http://bit.ly/1sRoqgl) or via IQ2's new app (http://shorefi.re/VTwKwx)

WHAT: Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates "Income Inequality Impairs The American Dream of Upward Mobility"
WHEN: Wednesday, October 22nd, 2014 / Reception 5:45-6:30 / Debate 6:45-8:30 PM
WHERE: Kaufman Center/129 W. 67th Street (bet. Broadway and Amsterdam)/New York, NY 10023
TICKETS: $40 ($12 for students w/ ID). To purchase, visit http://www.intelligencesquaredus.org/

ABOUT INTELLIGENCE SQUARED U.S. DEBATES (IQ2US)
Founded in New York City in 2006 by Robert Rosenkranz, IQ2US reaches millions through podcasts, national NPR broadcasts, international webcasts and other digital media. The series has won a 2014 Clarion Award for Radio Regular Feature Program and the 2014 New York Festivals International Radio Bronze Award for Best Public Affairs. The debates have attracted some of the world's top thinkers, including Steven Forbes, Dr. Neal Barnard, Paul Krugman, Karl Rove, Malcolm Gladwell, and Arianna Huffington. With close to 100 debates, Intelligence Squared U.S. has encouraged the public to "think twice" on a wide range of provocative topics. Author and ABC News correspondent John Donvan has moderated IQ2US since 2008. The executive producer is Dana Wolfe.

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