Elizabeth Wilkins

Elizabeth Wilkins is president and CEO of the Roosevelt Institute, where she focuses on economic security, worker power, and public policy. Previously, she led the Federal Trade Commission’s Office of Policy Planning and served as chief of staff to FTC Chair Lina Khan. Earlier, she worked in the White House and the D.C. Attorney General’s office, and began her career as a political organizer with SEIU 32BJ.

The Middle-Class Promise Now Depends on Security, Mobility, and Access

The panelists argue that a middle-class life depends on more than income: people need security and a credible path from work to a better future. Elizabeth Wilkins says that path has weakened as workers lose bargaining power and the gains of economic growth become less widely shared; the answer, she argues, is to adapt policies that support workers, social insurance and access to essentials. The discussion also points to local decisions on housing, education and child care as part of making that promise attainable.

The Aspen InstituteOct 22, 202612 min read