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• Tracking Economic Recession and Recovery in America’s 100 Largest Metropolitan Areas

  Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

  The second in a series of interactive quarterly reports, the MetroMonitor ranks the nation’s 100 largest metro areas—which generate three quarters of U.S. output—on key indicators of economic performance. This edition of the monitor reveals that, amid signs at the national level that job and income losses are slowing, metropolitan economies continued to perform at highly variable rates through June 2009. While several metro areas may have reached a turning point, there are many others that still have not touched bottom, as well as a few that have almost fully recovered.

• Will Government Motors do better than General Motors?

  Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

  Daniel J. Ikenson and Howard Wial finish their debate on the Los Angeles Times 'Dust Up' series by asking: how can the federal government simultaneously regulate General Motors, protect the taxpayers' interests as the company's dominant shareholders, and help the carmaker turn out products that people want to buy?

• General Motors Needs to Downsize, but Not Too Much

  Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

  Given how far the demand for cars has fallen this year, would the failure of General Motors have put more stress on the industry, or just accelerated the "right sizing" that was already underway? In other words, was the company really too big to fail? In a three day Los Angeles Times 'Dust Up' series, Brookings scholar Howard Wial and Daniel J. Ikenson, associate director of the Cato Institute's Center for Trade Policy Studies, discuss the current state of General Motors.

• An Ordinary General Motors Bankruptcy Would Have Been Too Risky for the American Economy

  Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

  Should the federal government have spent billions to prevent liquidation only to have GM eventually file for bankruptcy? In a three day Los Angeles Times 'Dust Up' series, Brookings scholar Howard Wial and Daniel J. Ikenson, associate director of the Cato Institute's Center for Trade Policy Studies, discuss the current state of General Motors.

• Driving the Auto Industry to a New Place

  Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

  
  President Obama has tasked General Motors with creating a credible model to succeed in the global market. But the president does not go far enough in transforming the U.S. auto industry, writes Howard Wial. He urges Obama to be more specific about the scope of federal assistance to communities suffering from plant closings and mass layoffs.

• Putting U.S. Cars on the High Road to Recovery

  Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

  Putting the U.S. auto industry on the high road to recovery will require more than a quick financial fix. Susan Helper and Howard Wial urge automakers and the government to address the underlying impediments to their long-term viability.

• How a Metro Nation Would Feel the Loss of the Detroit Three Automakers

  Fri, 12 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

  
  Emergency federal funds will keep General Motors and Chrysler solvent for a few more months but the automakers’ outcome is still uncertain. If plants are closed, a blow is struck to the regional economies of 50 metropolitan areas. Most are located in the Great Lakes region, but the loss of jobs and income would stretch to metros as far flung as Huntsville, AL; Ogden, UT; and Ithaca, NY.