RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Clifford Winston, September 2008, Journal of Economic Literature
The book Archon Fung, Mary Graham, and David Weil’s Full Disclosure: The Perils and Promise of Transparency provides a thorough discussion of governmentmandated disclosure policies. Clifford Winston uses their book to frame an empirical assessment of whether these—and other information policies—have significantly reduced the costs to consumers created by imperfect information. Read More
PAST EVENT
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
8:15 AM to 2:00 PM
Washington, DC
The way consumers pay for products and services is dramatically changing, with cash and checks now accounting for less than half of all transactions and falling fast. What payment technologies lie ahead and how will they change the way our economy works? Brookings’s Initiative on Business and Public Policy held an event with some of America’s leading experts—including Under Secretary for International Affairs at the U.S. Treasury Department David H. McCormick and American Express CEO Ken Chenault—on the evolution of electronic payments. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Tom Gibson and H. J. van der Vaart, September 2008, The Brookings Institution
Within the community whose work it is to promote economic growth in developing countries, the role of small and medium enterprises (“SMEs”) remains a topic of debate. This debate has been badly served by faulty definitions. As career practitioners in SME finance, Tom Gibson, Principal of SMEthink, and H. J. van der Vaart, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of Small Enterprise Assistance Funds, review in this paper how SMEs are defined for developing countries, how such definitions are used, and why this matters. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Jane Nelson, August 2008, The Brookings Institution
The 2008 Brookings Blum Roundtable recently convened representatives to focus on how the poor of the world will cope with climate change. With a few notable exceptions, the climate adaptation challenge, and the links between climate change, economic growth, human rights, and poverty alleviation, has not been high on the corporate agenda. Jane Nelson, an expert in corporate social responsibility, recommends the corporate community take action to address climate change adaptation in the developing world. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Jack Keane and Michael E. O'Hanlon, July 06, 2008, The Washington Times
Michael O'Hanlon and Jack Keane assess a major private initiative called Welcome Back Veterans. The program, they write, is designed to complement government efforts to create new jobs for veterans returning from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Read More
VIDEO
Richard Thornburgh and Martha Raddatz, May 30, 2008
Former U.S. Attorney General Richard Thornburgh examines today’s corporate culture and finds that, while it is replete with good corporate citizens, we've seen a culture of greed and failure to observe basic fiduciary duties in the first part of this decade. Thornburgh says it is time for a system of corporate best practices for good governance.
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Martin Neil Baily, Douglas W. Elmendorf and Robert E. Litan, May 16, 2008, The Brookings Institution
With the U.S. financial system still in a perilous state, Martin Baily, Doug Elmendorf and Bob Litan diagnose what caused the crisis and offer prescriptions for policy change. The authors of this new Brookings paper address two challenges: to resolve the immediate problems and to reduce the likelihood that these problems recur. Read More
BOOK
Clifford Winston and Gines de Rus, May 01, 2008
International transportation experts compare and contrast how different nations have managed their airports and air traffic control systems and how well they are meeting the needs of their people. Read More
PAST EVENT
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
4:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Washington, DC
On April 8, the American Assembly and the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings held a forum to discuss how the nation’s government, business, civic and community leaders can develop and implement new policies to revitalize older industrial areas. The strategies were based on the findings of the Brookings Institution Press book Retooling for Growth: Building a 21st Century Economy in America’s Older Industrial Areas. Read More
PAST EVENT
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
12:00 PM to 12:00
Washington, DC
The Global Economy and Development program at Brookings hosted the inaugural meeting of its Global Young Professionals Program on February 27, featuring Matt Flannery, CEO and co-founder of Kiva.org, the world's first person-to-person micro-lending Web site. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Thomas Lynch and Michael E. O'Hanlon, February 17, 2008, The Washington Times
Michael O'Hanlon and Thomas Lynch argue that a nationwide network and civic military-to-civilian jobs programs are needed and that they will send a powerful message that the playing field is level for those who serve in the U.S. military. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Raj M. Desai and Anders Olofsgård, January 2008, The Brookings Institution
In a new Global working paper, Raj Desai and co-author Anders Olofsgård examines cronyism, specifically focusing on the competitiveness of politically favored firms, and finding that influential firms do innovate and invest less. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Kristin M. Lord, January 2008, U.S. Relations with the Islamic World Memo
Kristin Lord offers ideas for Arab countries to build a knowledge based society in which business can flourish. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Matt Fellowes and Mia Mabanta, January 2008, The Brookings Institution
The $100 billion size of the high-cost non-bank basic financial services industry, including check cashers, payday lenders, and pawnshops, points to the high demand for basic financial services among low- and moderate-income customers. Alternative products sold by banks—located extensively in lower-income neighborhoods could meet those consumer needs, while also creating an opportunity for households to convert their current spending on high-cost services into savings and even wealth. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Christopher B. Leinberger and Kojo Nnamdi, January 09, 2008, The Kojo Nnamdi Show (WAMU)
Chris Leinberger discusses walkable urbanism, and how the desire for more walkable urban spaces is changing the housing market in America's cities as people seek alternatives to driving. Read More