Join our live discussion on America's future

By M.J.

FROM one perspective, America is a country in crisis: its debt is rising, its population ageing and its lawmakers deadlocked. Another view is more cheering: America's inventors are as creative as ever, its entrepreneurs still thrusting and its regional politicians successfully tackling the failings that Congress is ignoring. Is such optimism justified, or do the pessimists have a point? What can be done to preserve and encourage the America that works?

Edward McBride is The Economist's Washington bureau chief, and author of our cover leader on America's competitiveness. On Tuesday March 19th Mr McBride will be answering readers' questions via webcam, using the Hangouts feature of Google+. He will be joined by Tyler Cowen, a writer and professor of economics at George Mason University. The discussion will take place at 2pm in London and 10am in New York. Readers may watch the conversation on this page.