The astonishing growth of Occupy Wall Street reflects a widespread understanding that our political system has failed to address the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression. As William Greider points out in this issue, the housing foreclosure crisis continues to smother the economy, and yet both parties are, for the most part, standing with the banks in denying adequate relief for millions of underwater homeowners. There’s no shortage of smart policy proposals to address the crises that beset us, on everything from housing to fair taxation to corporate governance, student loans and racial justice. The problem is that our politicians are primarily answerable to the 1 percent, who fund their campaigns. The OWS movement is already a success for having raised all these issues—explored in the articles presented here.   —The Editors

In This Forum

Sam Pizzigati: “OWS Revives the Struggle for Economic Equality” Rinku Sen: “Race and Occupy Wall Street” George Zornick: “How to Be a 1 Percenter” Tamara Draut: “Occupy College” Sarah Anderson: “The Costs of Wall Street Greed” Gordon Lafer: “Why Occupy Wall Street Has Left Washington Behind”