Robert Reich facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Reich
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Official portrait, 1993
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| 22nd United States Secretary of Labor | |
| In office January 20, 1993 – January 20, 1997 |
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| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Lynn Morley Martin |
| Succeeded by | Alexis Herman |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Robert Bernard Reich
June 24, 1946 Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses |
Clare Dalton
(m. 1973; div. 2012)Perian Flaherty |
| Children | 2, including Sam |
| Education | Dartmouth College (BA) University College, Oxford (MA) Yale University (JD) |
| Awards | The VIZE 97 Prize (2003) |
| YouTube information | |
| Years active | 2015–present |
| Subscribers | 1.01 million (Jan 21, 2025) |
| Total views | 121.6 million (Jan 2025) |
| Subscriber and view counts updated as of January 2025. | |
Robert Bernard Reich (born June 24, 1946) is an American professor, author, and political expert. He has worked for several U.S. presidents. From 1993 to 1997, he was the United States Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton. He also advised President Barack Obama on economic matters.
Since 2006, Reich has been a professor at the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley. Before that, he taught at Harvard University and Brandeis University. In 2008, Time magazine called him one of the best Cabinet members of the century. The Wall Street Journal also listed him as a top business thinker.
Reich has written many popular books. These include The Work of Nations (1991) and Saving Capitalism (2015). He also made films like Inequality for All and Saving Capitalism. These films explore important economic issues. He is a strong supporter of Common Cause and shares his ideas on his website, Robertreich.org.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Robert Reich was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. His family was Jewish. His father owned a women's clothing store. When he was a teenager, doctors found out he had a condition called multiple epiphyseal dysplasia. This condition meant he was shorter than most people.
Because of his height, he was sometimes bullied. He found protection from older boys. One of them was Michael Schwerner. Schwerner was later murdered in 1964 while helping African Americans register to vote. This event inspired Reich to "fight the bullies" and "protect the powerless."
Reich went to John Jay High School. He then studied history at Dartmouth College. He graduated with high honors in 1968. He won a Rhodes Scholarship to study at University College, Oxford in England. While at Oxford, he met Bill Clinton. He also earned a law degree from Yale Law School. At Yale, he was classmates with Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton.
After law school, Reich worked for a judge. He also worked for the U.S. Solicitor General. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter appointed him to a role at the Federal Trade Commission. From 1980 to 1992, he taught at Harvard University. During this time, he wrote several books and articles.
Serving as Secretary of Labor
When Bill Clinton ran for president in 1992, he used many of Reich's ideas. After Clinton won, he chose Reich to lead his economic team. Reich then became the United States Secretary of Labor. The Senate quickly approved his nomination.
In his role, Reich wanted to improve job training and infrastructure. He saw the Department of Labor as a key agency. He also advised President Clinton on many other topics. These included health care, education, and technology. He called himself the "secretary of the American work force."
However, Reich faced challenges. Other economic advisors wanted to reduce the national debt. This meant less money for Reich's plans. Despite this, he achieved important goals. He helped put the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) into action. This law allows workers to take time off for family or medical reasons without losing their jobs. He also helped increase the national minimum wage.
Views on Trade Agreements
Reich was a strong supporter of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) at first. This agreement aimed to remove trade barriers between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. He believed it would create more jobs in the U.S. He argued that free trade had historically led to job growth.
He spoke out against unions who opposed NAFTA. He said their fears about job losses were "just plain wrong." He believed American industries would grow. He also thought the agreement would help the economy overall. NAFTA passed Congress and became law in 1993.
Years later, Reich changed his mind. He said he regretted not making the labor and environmental parts of NAFTA stronger. He also opposed a later trade deal, calling it "NAFTA on steroids."
Returning to Influence
By 1994, Reich's influence on policy had lessened. But after the Democratic Party lost many seats in the 1994 elections, Clinton brought Reich back to the forefront. Clinton adopted many of Reich's ideas. These included tax cuts for the middle class and more money for worker training.
Reich also spoke out against "corporate welfare." This term refers to government subsidies for corporations. He argued that cutting these subsidies could fund job training programs. He also pushed for changes to help workers adapt to a new "information-based" economy. He emphasized the need for continuous job retraining.
After the Clinton Administration
In 1996, Reich decided to leave his role as Secretary of Labor. He wanted to spend more time with his sons. After leaving, he wrote a book about his experiences called Locked in the Cabinet. In the book, he shared his views on politics and the Clinton administration.
Reich became a professor at Brandeis University. Students there voted him Professor of the Year in 2003. In 2006, he moved to UC Berkeley. He teaches popular courses on wealth and poverty. He also works with the Blum Center for Developing Economies. This center aims to find solutions for extreme poverty worldwide.
Running for Governor
In 2002, Reich ran for Governor of Massachusetts. He was the first U.S. candidate for governor to support same-sex marriage. His campaign had little money. He came in second in the Democratic primary election. He lost to Shannon O'Brien.
In 2005, some thought he might run again. Instead, he supported Deval Patrick. Patrick later won the election and became governor.
Political Views
Reich believes that taxes are important for a "civilized society." He supports using taxes to pay for things the nation needs. He suggests expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit. This program helps lower-income workers. He also believes in investing more in education.
He is a strong supporter of unions. He says unions are good for workers and the economy. He also supports raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. He believes this would help workers without harming businesses. Reich also supports a universal basic income. This idea suggests that everyone should receive a regular payment from the government.
Reich has spoken about affordable housing. In 2020, he expressed concerns about a building project near his home in Berkeley. He supported protecting an old building to prevent a large apartment complex from being built. He later clarified his support for affordable housing in all communities.
He supports Israel but has criticized its settlement building in Palestinian areas. More recently, he has spoken out about the conflict in Gaza. He believes the U.S. should limit arms sales to Israel.
In 2008, Reich supported Barack Obama for president. He also supported Bernie Sanders in 2016 and 2020. After Sanders ended his 2016 campaign, Reich urged his supporters to back Hillary Clinton.
Reich has also criticized Donald Trump. He believes Trump failed to respond to major crises. He supports removing Trump from social media platforms like Twitter. He has also called Florida Governor Ron DeSantis a "fascist." In 2023, he praised President Joe Biden as "shrewd" and "careful."
Personal Life
Reich married Clare Dalton in 1973. They later divorced in 2012. They have two sons: Sam and Adam. Sam is the CEO of Dropout, a media company. Adam is a sociology professor. Robert Reich later married Perian Flaherty, a photographer.
Reich was born with multiple epiphyseal dysplasia, a form of Dwarfism. He is four feet, ten inches tall. He has spoken publicly about his height. In 2023, he appeared in a cameo role in a show for his son Sam's company, Dropout.
Awards and Recognition
- Bruno-Kreisky Award (2009) for his book Supercapitalism.
- Václav Havel Foundation VIZE 97 Prize (2003) for his writings on economics and politics.
- Louis Brownlow Award (1984) for his book on public administration.
Books Written by Robert Reich
- 1982: Minding America's Business
- 1983: The Next American Frontier
- 1985: New Deals
- 1987: Tales of a New America
- 1989: The Resurgent Liberal
- 1990: The Power of Public Ideas (editor)
- 1990: Public Management in a Democratic Society
- 1991: The Work of Nations
- 1997: Locked in the Cabinet
- 2000: The Future of Success
- 2002: I'll Be Short
- 2004: Reason
- 2007: Supercapitalism
- 2010: Aftershock
- 2012: Beyond Outrage
- 2015: Saving Capitalism
- 2017: Economics in Wonderland
- 2018: The Common Good
- 2020: The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix It
Films Featuring Robert Reich
These documentaries were made with Jacob Kornbluth.
- 2013: Inequality for All
- 2017: Saving Capitalism
Images for kids
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Reich in 2021
See also
In Spanish: Robert Reich para niños
- 2008–09 Keynesian resurgence
- Journal of Women, Politics & Policy – Reich sits on the editorial board
- The Trap (TV series), BBC documentary featuring Reich
- List of Jewish United States Cabinet members
