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Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- October 21, 2009, 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
On October 21, the Initiative on Business and Public Policy explored the government’s role in the struggling auto industry and their future relationship. Steven Rattner, former head of the Obama administration’s Task Force on the Auto Industry, delivered the keynote address.
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Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:09:13 GMT
President Obama recently signed a law adding $2 billion to the wildly popular "Cash for Clunkers" program that has given automakers a boost after months of declining sales. Barry Bosworth says despite the program’s quick uptake, there are probably better ways to help stimulate the economy.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:49:38 GMT
Auto giant General Motors announced that it's seeking to file for bankruptcy, which could result in one of the biggest Chapter 11 filings in U.S. history. Martin Baily examines the possible outcomes of this action saying GM lost its edge in the increasingly global and competitive auto manufacturing business.
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Fri, 29 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT
General Motors has filed for bankruptcy, and one of many questions is what will happen to its pension promises, which are underfunded by $20 billion. Douglas Elliott says GM is very likely to continue to shoulder the full obligations after restructuring, rather than passing them to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and taxpayers—for now.
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Wed, 20 May 2009 14:40:26 GMT
In proposing higher fuel efficiency standards for new cars, President Obama has intervened in the private sector. Cliff Winston explains how consumer demand alone for fuel efficient cars was clearly not strong enough to drive the market in that direction. But, he warns of such unintended consequences as cars being less safe and driven more.
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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.
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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.
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Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT
The United States has been largely unsuccessful in reducing its petroleum consumption by regulating the fuel economy of motor vehicles. Pietro Nivola proposes a move towards a comprehensive carbon tax, which could reduce gasoline consumption more effectively and curtail carbon emissions from other, more damaging sources.
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Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Jason Bordoff argues that the pay-as-you-drive proposal pending in the Washington State Senate is win-win: it saves most drivers money while also addressing climate change, lowering our dependence on oil, alleviating congested roadways, and reducing a range of other driving-related harms. What’s good for drivers, in this case, is also good for society.
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Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT
The incoming administration needs to act quickly to stimulate our ailing economy. Jason Bordoff suggests that one way to stimulate the economy and prevent the collapse of the auto industry, tackle climate change and promote oil independence, is to offer “cash for clunkers”—drivers would be given vouchers toward the purchase of newer, more fuel-efficient vehicles, with the old vehicles scrapped to get them off the road.
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Wed, 31 Dec 2008 11:22:33 GMT
Senior Fellow Gary Burtless says the credit crisis has resulted in a serious domino affect for the auto industry where the consumer can’t borrow to buy cars and auto makers can’t borrow to stay afloat – this can have a profound impact on unemployment rates, he notes.
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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.
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Mon, 08 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT
The bankruptcy and liquidation of any of the Big Three automakers would represent a serious body blow to an already weak and declining economy. Garry Burtless discusses the possible impact of an automaker collapse.
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Sun, 07 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT
NPR Weekend Edition Sunday host Liane Hansen speaks with Gary Burtless about the potential impact from massive job losses in the auto industry.
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Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Frank H. Pearl, chairman and CEO of Perseus, LLC and an honorary trustee of the Brookings Institution, offers a plan to save the U.S. automobile industry. Pearl argues that the consequences of the failure of the industry would intolerably damage the U.S. economy.
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Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Gary Burtless argues that the Big 3 deserve federal help for two reasons: humanitarian -- avoiding worker layoffs at a time when new job prospects are so bleak, and simple self interest because the failure of one or more of the Big Three would inflict a terrific blow to consumer and investor confidence. The pain of adjustment and the scale of the job loss from the industry's reorganization can be lessened if the industry gets the government loans, rather then letting these firms disappear.
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Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT
U.S. automakers say the high cost of labor here gives overseas companies an unfair advantage. How much of a problem is Big Labor for Detroit? How much of an advantage—if at all—do Honda, Toyota and others have over U.S. companies? Gary Burtless tackles these and other questions surrounding the big three bailout in an online debate.
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Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT
In an online debate, Gary Burtless argues that federal loan guarantees to an industry in trouble are nothing new. Chrysler in the 1979 and the airlines after 9/11 received government loans and it helped them get back on their feet. He also questions whether Congress can judge the plans the Big 3 have presented to them, and believes a competent executive board should be created to negotiate the terms.
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Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT
What's so bad about letting Ford, Chrysler and GM slip into bankruptcy? Gary Burtless and Daniel J. Ikenson of the Cato Institute debated bailing out the Big Three.
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Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Robert Crandall and Clifford Winston discuss a proposal for automakers they think will cost taxpayers less and, in the long run, be more beneficial to labor and the overall economy than either a straight bailout or bankruptcy.
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Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Congress is considering legislation that would extend loan guarantees to the U.S. auto industry. Gary Burtless argues that a government bailout would help save American manufacturing jobs and could give taxpayers a good return on their investment.
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Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Alice Rivlin and other economists discuss Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's announcement Wednesday that the government will shift its focus from buying troubled assets to shoring up institutions that manage credit cards, auto loans and other types of borrowing.
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Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT
In a follow up to their Hamilton Project discussion paper, Pay-As-You-Drive Auto Insurance: A Simple Way to Reduce Driving-Related Harms and Increase Equity, Jason Bordoff and Pascal Noel examine the effects of pay-as-you-drive in California.
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Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- June 11, 2008, 1:00 PM to
- June 12, 2008, 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Brookings and Google.org hosted a conference on electric vehicles, their potential to reduce U.S. oil dependence and the role of federal policy in promoting this technology.
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Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Jason Bordoff presents a plan for "pay-as-you-drive" car insurance, a win-win policy—good for society and good for most drivers—that makes significant progress on climate change, congestion and other driving-related harms and is more equitable at the same time, all while reducing insurance costs for the majority of drivers.
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Thu, 06 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Robert W. Crandall and Hal J. Singer argue against new CAFE standards on Detroit automakers being considered by Congress.
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Mon, 01 May 2006 00:00:00 GMT
Kenneth E. Train and Clifford Winston attempt to shed light on the U.S. automaker industry’s predicament by applying econometric advances to analyze the vehicle choices of American consumers.
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Mon, 01 May 2006 00:00:00 GMT
Clifford Winston, Vikram Maheshri and Fred Mannering find that safety-conscious drivers are more likely than other drivers to acquire airbags and antilock brakes but these safety devices do not have a significant effect on collisions or injuries, suggesting drivers trade off enhanced safety for speedier trips.
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Mon, 23 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT
Simply put, the federal government failed to help retain high-wage, high-productivity manufacturing.
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Sat, 01 Oct 2005 00:00:00 GMT
Article by Margy Waller, Washington Monthly (October 2005)
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Fri, 01 Jul 2005 00:00:00 GMT
We develop a consumer-level model of vehicle choice to shed light on the erosion of the U.S. automobile manufacturers' market share during the past decade. Our model accounts for the influence of vehicle attributes, brand loyalty, product line characteristics, and dealerships on choice. We find that nearly all of the loss in market share for U.S. manufacturers can be explained by changes in basic vehicle attributes: price, size, power, operating cost, and body type. U.S. manufacturers have improved their vehicles' attributes but not as much as Japanese and European manufacturers have improved the attributes of their vehicles.
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Mon, 23 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT
Opinion by Robert W. Crandall and Clifford Winston, Detroit Free Press (5/23/05)
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Mon, 23 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT
Robert W. Crandall and Clifford Winston argue that trade protection can no longer shield the U.S. auto producers from foreign efficiency.
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Tue, 15 Feb 2005 00:00:00 GMT
Kenneth A. Small, Clifford Winston and Jia Yan suggest that road pricing policies designed to cater to varying preferences can improve efficiency and reduce the disparity of welfare impacts compared with recent pricing experiments.
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Fri, 01 Mar 2002 00:00:00 GMT
In light of recent sweeping financial modernization legislation in airline, trucking, railroad, telecommunications, and banking sectors of the insurance industry, this timely volume examines the basis for continued regulation of rates and forms of th
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Wed, 01 Aug 2001 00:00:00 GMT
Remarks to U.S. House Committee on Financial Services, August 1, 2001
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Thu, 22 Mar 2001 00:00:00 GMT
Testimony by Anthony Downs to U.S. House of Representatives