Michael Tanner

Despite the passionate rhetoric and lofty promises from politicians on both sides, too many of our fellow Americans continue to shoulder the heavy burden of poverty. Democratic Mayor Kasim Reed of Atlanta, Director of the Center for Hunger Free communities in Philadelphia Mariana Chilton, Michael Tanner from the Cato Institute, and founder of the Family Independence Initiative Mauricio Miller join Melissa Harris-Perry for a discussion on why people are poor, why they remain poor, and what we can do about it.

Colleges pledged to produce 3.8 million more graduates by 2025 through enrollment completion efforts. What keeps students from graduating...and does it really matter? Joining the conversation are Briana White, Charles Thornburgh, Eddie Eguina, Megan Robertson and Michael Tanner.

Neither Romney nor Ryan have said much about Social Security, but it's a major topic for the Democrats, and who are reminding voters Ryan supports diverting social security funds to private accounts. Jared Bernstein, Center on Budget & Policy Priorities, and Michael Tanner, Cato Institute, discuss whether privatizing Social Security really is a good idea.