Wednesday February 8, 2012

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SPOTLIGHT: China


Reuters / Christina Hu - A customer holds Renminbi banknotes at an ATM in a bank in Beijing.

Save to My Portfolio The Role of the Renminbi in the Global Monetary System

Eswar Prasad and Lei (Sandy) Ye, February 2012

Eswar Prasad and Lei Ye examine the role of China's renminbi currency in the global monetary system as it relates to internationalization, capital account convertibility and reserve currency. Prasad and Ye argue that the renminbi will play an increasingly significant role in global trade and finance. Read More

China, China's Currency, China's Economy, Monetary Policy, Macroeconomics

SPOTLIGHT: Manufacturing


Reuters / John Gress - A woman packages socks at a factory in Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Save to My Portfolio The Outsized Benefits of U.S. Manufacturing

Howard Wial and Jonathan Rothwell, February 06, 2012

Howard Wial and Jonathan Rothwell respond to a New York Times opinion piece that questions whether the country’s manufacturing sector needs government support. Wial and Rothwell outline the case for reviving the sector, showing how it disproportionately abets innovation and regional economic clusters. Read More

Manufacturing, U.S. Economic Growth, Competitiveness, Innovation, Job Creation

SPOTLIGHT: Job Creation


Reuters/Frank Polich - Workers assemble a pre-production 2013 Dodge Dart during a tour of the Chrysler Belvidere Assembly plant in Belvidere, Illinois February 2, 2012.

Save to My Portfolio Labor Market Continues to Strengthen

Gary Burtless, February 03, 2012

With the unemployment rate dropping to 8.3% in January, Gary Burtless examines the numbers in the Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report that indicate a seventh straight month of improvement in the job market. Burtless explains which demographics and industries, including manufacturing and construction, have seen the most job growth. Read More

Job Creation, Labor, Unemployment, U.S. Economy, U.S. Economic Growth

SPOTLIGHT: U.S. Economic Growth


Photos.com - A mechanic shows her daughter how to check the oil.

Save to My Portfolio The Marriage Gap: The Impact of Economic and Technological Change on Marriage Rates

Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney, February 03, 2012

Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney examine the decline in marriages over the last 50 years, highlighting the correlation between income level and likelihood of marrying. Greenstone and Looney note that the decline in marriage is concentrated among less-educated, lower-income Americans. Read More

U.S. Economic Growth, U.S. Economy, Unemployment, Wages

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioNew Regulations Enhance Savers’ Retirement Security

William G. Gale and David C. John, February 08, 2012, The Brookings Institution

General Motors auto worker retiree stands next to his pick-up truck William Gale and David John write that Americans who use defined contribution retirement savings plans, such as 401(k) or 403(b) plans, or Individual Retirement Accounts will see their retirement security enhanced by two new regulatory initiatives. Gale and John argue that they will give Americans more flexibility in structuring retirement incomes, while making it easier to avoid some fees. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioWeb Chat: The Future of the Keystone XL Pipeline

Charles K. Ebinger, February 08, 2012, The Brookings Institution

On February 8, Charles Ebinger takes your questions on the Keystone XL pipleline project during a live web chat moderated by POLITICO. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioStop Feeling Sorry for the Middle Class! They’re Doing Just Fine.

Scott Winship, February 07, 2012, The New Republic

Homeless man makes a sign on a piece of cardboardScott Winship writes that the idea that up to 95 percent of Americans are struggling may be popular, but is incorrect. Winship argues that the attention paid to the overstated problems of the middle class comes at the expense of the more critical challenges facing the poor. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioThe Role of the Renminbi in the Global Monetary System

Eswar Prasad and Lei (Sandy) Ye, February 2012, The Brookings Institution

Customer holds Renminbi banknotes in BeijingEswar Prasad and Lei Ye examine the role of China's renminbi currency in the global monetary system as it relates to internationalization, capital account convertibility and reserve currency. Prasad and Ye argue that the renminbi will play an increasingly significant role in global trade and finance. Read More

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Opportunity and Well-beingTopicOpportunity and Well-being

As they weather the current economic storm, will our governments and societies address the basic needs and aspirations of the least well-off? How can we better use education to raise individual aspirations? How should governments around the world accelerate preparations to provide social services for the billions moving from poverty into the middle class?

Shadi HamidExpertShadi Hamid

Shadi Hamid focuses on Islamist political parties and democratic reform in the Middle East. Prior to joining Brookings, he was Director of Research at the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) and a Hewlett Fellow at Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law.

Daniel KaufmannExpertDaniel Kaufmann

Daniel Kaufmann was previously the director at the World Bank Institute, leading the work on governance and anti-corruption. His areas of expertise are public sector and regulatory reform, development, governance and anti-corruption.

John L. Thornton China CenterPolicy CenterJohn L. Thornton China Center

The John L. Thornton China Center develops analysis and policy recommendations to help address key long-term challenges, both in terms of U.S.-China relations and China's internal development.

Center on Children and FamiliesPolicy CenterCenter on Children and Families

The Center on Children and Families studies policies on the well-being of America's children and their parents and seeks a more effective means of addressing poverty, inequality and lack of opportunity in the United States.

Africa Growth InitiativeResearch ProjectAfrica Growth Initiative

The Africa Growth Initiative conducts high-quality policy research and analysis focused on attaining sustainable economic development and prosperity in Africa, while amplifying the voice of African researchers in policy-making and planning.

William G. GaleExpertWilliam G. Gale

Bill Gale, the Arjay and Frances Miller Chair in Federal Economic Policy in the Economic Studies Program at Brookings, is an expert on tax policy, fiscal issues, pensions, and saving behavior. He is also co-director of the Tax Policy Center and director of the Retirement Security Project.

Center for Technology InnovationPolicy CenterCenter for Technology Innovation

The Center for Technology Innovation is at the forefront of shaping public debate on technology innovation and developing data-driven scholarship to enhance understanding of technology’s legal, economic, social, and governance ramifications.

Robert KaganExpertRobert Kagan

Robert Kagan is an expert and frequent commentator on Egypt, the Middle East, U.S. national security, and U.S.-European relations. He writes a monthly column on world affairs for the Washington Post and is a contributing editor at the Weekly Standard and the New Republic.

Budgeting for National PrioritiesResearch ProjectBudgeting for National Priorities

The Budgeting for National Priorities project promotes greater fiscal responsibility by developing new ideas, educating the public and finding common ground among experts and policy-makers.

Mwangi S. KimenyiExpertMwangi S. Kimenyi

Mwangi S. Kimenyi is senior fellow and director of the Africa Growth Initiative. The founding executive director of the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (1999-2005), he focuses on Africa's development including institutions for economic growth, political economy, and private sector development.

Donald KohnExpertDonald Kohn

Donald Kohn is a 40-year veteran of the Federal Reserve System and served as vice chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve from 2006 to 2010. He was recently appointed by the government of the United Kingdom and the Bank of England to serve on its interim Financial Policy Committee. Kohn focuses on issues of monetary policy, financial regulation and macroeconomics.

Brookings Mobile ApplicationsNEW FEATUREBrookings Mobile Applications

Stay up-to-date with our independent, high-quality research, learn about Brookings events and search our directory of experts all from your BlackBerry, iPad, iPhone or Android device.

Darrell M. WestExpertDarrell M. West

Darrell M. West is vice president and director of Governance Studies and founding director of the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings. His studies include technology policy, electronic government, and mass media.

Katherine SierraExpertKatherine Sierra

Katherine Sierra is a senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development program. A former vice president for sustainable development at the World Bank, she focuses on climate change and energy.

State of Metropolitan AmericaMetropolitan Policy ProgramState of Metropolitan America

Foreshadowing 2010 Census results, this new Brookings report and interactive map defines who Americans are—and who they are becoming—in the face of continued growth, population aging and diversification, uneven educational attainment and income polarization.

Energy and ClimateTopicEnergy and Climate

What will it take to mitigate severe climate disruption? What should our priorities be in the relationship between fresh water and climate change? What will it take to help vulnerable countries and regions adapt to change already taking place?

Vanda Felbab-BrownExpertVanda Felbab-Brown

Vanda Felbab-Brown focuses on the national security implications of illicit economies and strategies for managing them. She is the author of Shooting Up: Counterinsurgency and the War on Drugs (Brookings Institution Press, 2009).

Suzanne MaloneyExpertSuzanne Maloney

Suzanne Maloney studies Iran, the political economy of the Persian Gulf and Middle East energy policy. A former U.S. State Department policy advisor, she has also counseled private companies on Middle East issues.

Global ChangeTopicGlobal Change

How do we develop more realistic approaches and more effective means of ending intractable old conflicts and preventing new ones? How do we enhance measures to thwart nonstate actors—especially terrorists and illicit traffickers—and prevent the spread of nuclear weapons?

Alice M. RivlinExpertAlice M. Rivlin

In February 1975, the Congressional Budget Office was established with Alice Rivlin as its first director. Rivlin is an expert on urban issues as well as fiscal, monetary and social policy and directs the Greater Washington Research project at Brookings.

Isabel V. SawhillExpertIsabel V. Sawhill

A nationally known budget expert, Isabel Sawhill focuses on domestic poverty and federal fiscal policy. She is also co-director of the Center on Children and Families and the Budgeting for National Priorities Project at Brookings.

Growth through InnovationTopicGrowth through Innovation

What new practices and mechanisms will help prevent another economic downturn from turning into a financial panic that could become a truly global meltdown? What changes in the public and private sectors will build the workforce and infrastructure required for a global information-based economy?