RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Kenneth Rogoff, September 15, 2008, Project Syndicate
A year into the global financial crisis, several key central banks remain exposed to their countries’ shaky private financial sectors. In a new op-ed, Ken Rogoff explains why central banks must pull the plug sooner or later and how banks should approach regulation and view the market. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Isabel V. Sawhill, July 02, 2008, The Brookings Institution
Isabel Sawhill presents leading presidential candidates' positions on issues of fiscal responsibility, including: taxes, government programs and budgetary process issues . This chart is part of a series of issue indices to be published during the 2008 presidential election cycle. Read More
VIDEO
The Honorable Jim Cooper (D-TN) and The Honorable Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.), June 18, 2008
Two distinguished members of Congress: Representative Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) and Representative Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) spoke at a Brookings forum on methods to correct the unsustainable path of our current fiscal policies. Rep. Ryan, the ranking Republican on the House Budget Committee, addressed containing government spending by restructuring the tax code, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Rep. Cooper is a Democrat on the House Budget Committee and a member of the Blue Dog Coalition. He recently introduced the “Securing America’s Future Economy Commission Act” or SAFE Act, which would establish a commission to address the long-term fiscal outlook. Senior Fellow Isabel Sawhill moderated the panel.
PAST EVENT
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Washington, DC
On June 18, the Brookings Institution hosted Representative Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) and Representative Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) to discuss different approaches to correct the unsustainable path of our current fiscal policies. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Isabel V. Sawhill, May 26, 2008, The Salt Lake Tribune
With Congress poised to approve a budget blueprint that offers no relief for long-term deficit woes, Isabel Sawhill says that it’s time for presidential candidates to discuss ways to reshape the nation’s fiscal priorities and return to a more responsible path. Right now, she writes, little is being done to prevent a disaster. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Alice M. Rivlin and Michael E. O'Hanlon, May 25, 2008, The Washington Post
For all of their impressive qualities, this year's presidential candidates are woefully short on fiscal prudence, Alice Rivlin and Mike O'Hanlon explain. The next president will face two daunting budget problems. The winner will inherit a large deficit resulting from a weak economy, an expensive war and the persistent political inclination to spend more and tax less. But, the bigger challenge? Promises made to the growing population of retirees as health-care spending continues to soar. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Alan J. Auerbach, Jason Furman and William G. Gale, May 08, 2008, The Brookings Institution
Alan J. Auerbach, Jason Furman and William Gale discuss the most recent Congressional Budget Office baseline projection, and use it to examine the causes of the fiscal decline since 2000 and the medium- and longer-term fiscal outlook. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Bill Frenzel and Ron Haskins, April 07, 2008, The Washington Times
As the baby boomers begin to retire this year, the burden of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid will grow relentlessly. With more people in the programs and more expensive benefits, the nation will quickly encounter a budget disaster. Bill Frenzel and Ron Haskins say that dramatic reforms are needed to avoid budget chaos for future generations. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Jason Furman, April 04, 2008, Slate
As part of a series offering detailed policy prescriptions for the next president, Slate asked Hamilton Project Director and Brookings Senior Fellow Jason Furman for his views on how to remedy the current fiscal crisis. Furman offers a three-part response: fully account for the budget, stick to the budget and work with the other party. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
April 2008, The Brookings Institution and the Heritage Foundation
Unsustainable deficits in the federal budget threaten the health and vigor of the American economy. When the next president and Congress take office in January 2009, they will face one crucial question that has been almost absent from the current election campaign: how to close the enormous gap between projected federal spending and revenues. Read More
PAST EVENT
Monday, March 31, 2008
10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Washington, DC
Some of the nation’s top economists and budget policy experts presented a new paper arguing that the first step toward establishing budget responsibility is to reform the budget decision process so that Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid—the major drivers of escalating deficits—are no longer on auto-pilot. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Henry J. Aaron, Fall 2007, Health Affairs
Henry Aaron raises questions about the health-care budget and finding solutions to this long term problem. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Isabel V. Sawhill, November 01, 2007, Ideas Primary
Isabel V. Sawhill suggests steps that would give a new President time to educate the public and build a constituency for more fundamental changes. Read More
PAST EVENT
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
9:30 AM to 12:00:00 PM
Manchester, NH
On September 26, Opportunity 08 joined Saint Anselm College in Manchester for a forum examining key domestic issues facing presidential candidates in the New Hampshire primary. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
William A. Galston, September 21, 2007, NYU John Brademas Center
President Bush made Social Security reform his top domestic priority in 2004. In this paper, Brookings's William Galston examines why the president's proposal failed and the politics of Social Security reform. Read More