Budget
Taming the Deficit
 Deficits do matter. Projections show risks to the economy, an extra "debt tax" on every taxpayer, and highlight the weakened ability of the federal government to invest in the future or respond to unforeseen emergencies. Cutting fraud, waste, and abuse, curbing earmarks, raising taxes on the very wealthy, or streamlining the staffing of the federal government is simply not enough to solve the problem. Brookings scholars and budget experts describe ways to reduce the deficit by cutting spending and raising revenues.
America’s Economy: Headed for Crisis »
Authors: Robert Bixby; J. Robert Kerrey; Peter G. Peterson; Warren B. Rudman
Taming the Deficit »
Authors: William Frenzel; Charles W. Stenholm; G. William Hoagland; Isabel V. Sawhill
|
Corporate Governance
Improve Corporate Governance
 Corporate scandals from Enron to WorldCom have highlighted the importance of effective corporate governance – the policies and practices that determine how a corporation is operated and governed. In the wake of these scandals, Congress hastily passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) in an effort to protect U.S. capital markets and millions of American shareholders.
SOX promotes accountability and transparency in corporations. It also has a few provisions that enhance the effectiveness of “gatekeepers”—corporate directors, in-house and outside counsel, and internal and external auditors. But while SOX may have increased investor confidence in the short term, ongoing compliance with its requirements, as well as the heavy fines imposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), have proven extremely expensive for some companies.
Improve Corporate Governance »
Authors: Dick Thornburgh and Michael J. Missal
|
Past Success, Uncertain Future
Deregulation in the United States has been a great success in industries such as transportation, telecommunications and energy, leading to greater economic efficiency. However, the deregulatory movement may be slowing. In his Opportunity 08 paper, Brookings scholar Robert Crandall presents the next President with specific steps to help remove the last vestiges of economic regulatory controls and restrain government interference.
Extending Deregulation »
Author: Robert Crandall
|
Vital Center, Industrial Heartland
 The United States is undergoing a profound economic restructuring, due to pressures of globalization and the rising knowledge economy. America's Great Lakes region, once the core of the nation’s industrial production and wealth creation, is losing ground rapidly. At this critical moment, federal investment in U.S. competitiveness lacks a regional focus. Federal policy fails to recognize that national growth is driven by integrated regional economies with the strong underlying assets necessary for talent creation and innovation. Urban policy experts, including Bruce Katz of Brookings, describe investment strategy that focuses on regional assets and institutions.
Preserving the Vital Center »
Authors: John C. Austin; Paul Dimond; Bruce Katz
|
Today’s Students, Tomorrow's Workforce
 As America relies more on minority workers, African-American and Latino students are lagging behind their white peers and dropping out of school at higher rates. This loss of human capital takes a toll on the entire country. The Hoover Institution's Peter Berkowitz argues we must improve the nation's higher education system with streamlined student aid procedures and increased emphasis on math, science, and language studies. As Brookings scholar Hugh Price notes, the achievement gaps of today will become the competitiveness gap for America in tomorrow’s global economy.
Assuring Student Achievement »
Author: Hugh B. Price
Strengthening Higher Education »
Author: Peter Berkowitz
|
Health Care
Saving Money, Saving Lives
 The American public has a right to expect all Presidential candidates to address certain specific health system shortcomings, including the need to increase access to health care, reform Medicare and other financing, improve quality, and tackle medical malpractice reform. These issues have figured prominently in recent political debates, and they can be solved by several policy options.
Meeting the Challenge of Health Care Quality »
Authors: Henry J. Aaron; Joseph P. Newhouse
Meeting the Dilemma of Health Care Access »
Authors: Henry J. Aaron; Joseph P. Newhouse
Slowing the Growth of Health Spending »
Authors: Joseph R. Antos; Alice M. Rivlin
|
Retirement Security
Saving for a Better Future
The decline in “defined benefit” pension plans over the past 25 years has placed increased responsibility on workers to plan for their own retirement. And workers are feeling the pain. Many families approaching retirement age have little or no savings. Brookings vice president William Gale outlines a series of common-sense reforms to make the defined contribution pension system easier to navigate and more rewarding for American families.
Promoting Retirement Security »
Author: William G. Gale
|
Tax Policy
Reducing Complexity, Increasing Fairness
 The only things certain in life are death and taxes. While we can't change death, Brookings scholar William Gale argues that we can change our tax policy to reduce its complexity and make it fairer. Gale asserts that tax reform is simple, equitable, stable and promotes economic growth that can be achieved if our next President is committed to real reform driven by good tax policy and not the policies of special interests.
Fixing the Tax System »
Author: William G. Gale
|
Technology
Keep America #1 on the Net
 The Internet will advance as fast as the underlying technology will allow. Sean Maloney and Christopher Thomas of Intel argue that the next President will need to develop a comprehensive strategy that allows U.S. companies to remain the primary inventors and purveyors of Internet technology, stimulate American entrepreneurs to continue to develop the best new Internet businesses, and help American workers continue to receive the benefits of increased productivity and economic growth.
Strengthening U.S. Information Technology »
Authors: Sean Maloney; Christopher Thomas
|
Upward Mobility
Higher Ground for the Middle Class
Is the American Dream fading? Income inequality, inadequate savings and difficulty climbing the ladder to success are hurting many middle-income families—especially minority households. Brookings experts Hugh B. Price, Amy Liu and Rebecca Sohmer outline four pathways to prosperity: accessible education, quality jobs, viable neighborhoods, and financial well-being.
Pathways to the Middle Class »
Authors: Amy Liu; Hugh B. Price
|