Kenneth Labich

In the following viewpoint, Kenneth Labich outlines four scenarios for America’s economic prospects leading up to the twenty-first century. Labich maintains that most forecasters’ predictions fall into one of four scenarios: full-scale boom; lower, steady economic growth; little or no growth; and economic disaster. Labich contends that only a minority of forecasters predict the extreme economic changes, with most anticipating low, steady growth. Labich serves on the board of directors of Fortune, a biweekly business magazine.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Labich, what are the signs optimists point to in the first scenario?
2. How will the corporate sector change in the second scenario, according to forecasters cited by Labich?
3. On what basis does futurist Barry Minkin foresee an economic disaster, according to the author"

Chances are...