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Friday November 20, 2009

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BOOK

Save to My PortfolioGreenhouse Governance: Addressing Climate Change in America

Barry Rabe, December 15, 2009

Greenhouse Governance features a number of America's preeminent public policy scholars, examining some aspect of governance and climate change. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioThe Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation's $22 Billion Deficit

Douglas J. Elliott, November 13, 2009, The Brookings Institution

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation's $22 Billion DeficitThe Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), which protects the pensions of 44 million workers, announced a $22 billion deficit for fiscal year ending September 2009. Douglas Elliott analyzes the three main reasons for the PBGC’s financial troubles, and cautions that there are serious structural problems within PBGC that cannot be blamed on the financial crisis. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioDodd’s Single Banking Regulator Proposal Promising

Douglas J. Elliott, November 10, 2009, The Brookings Institution

Dodd’s Single Banking Regulator Proposal PromisingSenate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd is introducing legislation to consolidate banking regulation into one federal agency. Doug Elliott says having one regulator for “safety and soundness” and another focused on consumer protection is promising, should help avoid regulatory arbitrage and could hopefully prevent another financial crisis. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioStrengthening and Streamlining the Federal Supervision of Financial Institutions

Martin Neil Baily, September 29, 2009, Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs

Martin Baily testified before the Senate Banking Committee on the creation of a single micro prudential regulator, combining the regulatory and supervisory functions now carried out by the Fed, the OCC, the OTS, the SEC and the FDIC. He calls attention to the Australia model as a good positive example where a single prudential regulator has worked well. Read More

BOOK

Save to My PortfolioPrudent Lending Restored: Securitization After the Mortgage Meltdown

Richard J. Herring, Robert E. Litan and Yasuyuki Fuchita, September 15, 2009

Prudent Lending Restored offers suggestions on how we can reform securitization, including a solution to insure the mortgage market against default risk. Read More

VIDEO

Save to My PortfolioCan the PBGC Ensure Pension Plans during the Bad Economy?

Douglas J. Elliott, July 27, 2009

Can the PBGC Ensure Pension Plans during the Bad Economy?The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation ensures the retirement funds of nearly 44 million American workers and retirees, and now plans to assume responsibility for the pension plans of 70,000 GM workers. Lawmakers are concerned about PBGC's growing deficit, which has tripled to roughly $33.5 billion in six months. Douglas Elliott says they have good reason to be worried, given the current economy.

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioThe Tripling of the PBGC’s Deficit: What Does it Tell Us?

Douglas J. Elliott, June 04, 2009, The Brookings Institution

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation’s deficit tripled over the last six months and could top out at more than $100 billion. According to Douglas Elliott, this accelerated loss is the result of a combination of factors, including the PBGC’s inability—thanks to Congress—to charge premium rates that would cover its risk, and the investment and funding choices made by the companies that sponsor the pension plans insured by the PBGC. Is another massive bailout in store? Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioA Guide to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

Douglas J. Elliott, May 20, 2009, Center On Federal Financial Institutions

A Guide to the Pension Benefit Guaranty CorporationAs Chrysler and GM face bankruptcy proceedings and restructuring, the Senate held a hearing on whether the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) has the capacity to insure the pensions of nearly 44 million Americans who work or have worked at those firms. Douglas Elliott explores the particulars of the PBGC, the precarious situation that the automotive industry finds itself in, and offers 14 possible solutions to the problems that plague the government’s pension program. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioHealth Care Reform: Beware of Interest Groups Bearing Gifts

Henry J. Aaron, May 12, 2009, The Huffington Post

The Obama administration’s breakthrough with the health care industry to cut costs is eerily reminiscent of the 1970s, according to Henry Aaron. Then, as today, health care spending was outpacing income growth and the industry promised to voluntarily to rein in the growth. If we are to learn from history, rather than simply repeat it, he says, there are some simple but vitally important lessons. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioKnow Thy Neighbor: What Canada Can Tell Us About Financial Regulation

Pietro S. Nivola and John C. Courtney, April 23, 2009, The Brookings Institution

Know Thy Neighbor: What Canada Can Tell Us About Financial RegulationThe Obama administration and Congress are working rapidly to design a new regulatory architecture for the nation’s financial system. “They might consider taking a page or two from a model next door—Canada,” write Pietro Nivola and John C. Courtney, as they explore why the Canadian banking system remains solvent and solid amid the current global crisis. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioWill Big Government Change The Rules of Commerce?

Alice M. Rivlin, April 07, 2009, BigThink.com

Alice Rivlin joined bigthink.com to discuss how businesses can succeed in a new regulatory environment. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioWhere Were the Watchdogs? Systemic Risk and the Breakdown of Financial Governance

Robert E. Litan, March 04, 2009, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

Where Were the Watchdogs? Systemic Risk and the Breakdown of Financial GovernanceIn order to prevent future financial crises, Robert Litan testifies before Congress about the need to create a systemic risk regulator with oversight of all systemically important financial institutions. He advocates that all federal financial regulatory activities be consolidated in two agencies—a financial solvency regulator and a federal consumer protection regulator, with systemic risk responsibilities being assigned to the solvency regulator. Read More

BOOK

Save to My PortfolioHow to Improve Governance: A New Framework for Analysis and Action

David de Ferranti, Anthony J. Ody and with Justin Jacinto and Graeme Ramshaw, March 01, 2009

This perceptive book emphasizes the need for an overall analytical framework that can be applied to different countries to help analyze the current situation, identify potential areas for improvement, and assess their relative feasibility and the steps needed to promote them. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioBailout Q&A: Fix Regulators, Liquidate Fannie and Freddie?

Robert E. Litan, February 17, 2009, The Wall Street Journal

Given the jerky path of the bailout efforts by two administrations over the past 18 months, it isn’t surprising others would want a crack. Robert Litan and Martin Baily say the teetering U.S. regulatory system is the place to start fixing. The Wall Street Journal talked with Litan to find out why the stimulus should start with regulators. Read More

BOOK

Save to My PortfolioPlug-In Electric Vehicles: What Role for Washington?

David B. Sandalow, February 01, 2009

This important book examines the role that the U.S. government can and should play in promoting the widespread use of plug-in electric vehicles. Read More

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ExpertAmy Liu

Amy Liu is deputy director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program. Her policy studies include economic competitiveness, metropolitan growth and development, governance reforms, urban reinvestment, and social equity.

ExpertTed Gayer

Ted Gayer is the co-director of the Economic Studies program and the Joseph A. Pechman Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. He conducts research on a variety of economic issues, focusing particularly on public finance, environmental and energy economics, housing, and regulatory policy.

ExpertMark McClellan

Mark McClellan works on promoting high-quality, innovative and affordable health care. Once commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Dr. McClellan now directs the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform.

TopicEducation

The economic and political well-being of any society requires a well-educated citizenry. Brookings’s work extends beyond the K-12 bookends to include pre-school interventions, higher education and the challenges of education in developing countries.

ProgramGovernance Studies

Governance Studies explores political institutions of the United States and other democracies to assess how they govern, how their practices compare and how citizens and public servants can advance sound governance.

Research ProjectLatin America Initiative

The Latin America Initiative provides high-quality, in-depth, and independent research across a range of economic and political issues, and offers policy recommendations aimed at U.S. and Latin American policymakers.

ExpertIsabel 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 at Brookings.

TopicHealth Care

Brookings is committed to producing innovative policy solutions to our nation’s most difficult challenges. The country may face no more important domestic policy challenge than the much-needed reform of our health care system. Through an institution-wide effort, Brookings delivers new ideas and offers policy solutions to improve health care both at home and globally.

Policy CenterEngelberg Center for Health Care Reform

The Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform provides practical solutions to achieve high-quality, innovative, affordable health care with particular emphasis on identifying opportunities on the national, state and local levels.

ExpertDomenico Lombardi

As president of the Oxford Institute for Economic Policy, Domenico Lombardi’s work at Brookings focuses on the international financial crisis and the reform of the IMF and the World Bank. He is an expert on G-20 and G8 Summits.

ExpertFederiga Bindi

Federiga Bindi is a leading expert on European political integration. She has a broad experience in government and held a number of posts in international organizations. Bindi currently serves as an advisor to the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs. Her research focuses on the EU, transatlantic relations; EU states foreign policies, global governance issues.

Policy 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.

ExpertMwangi S. Kimenyi

Mwangi S. Kimenyi is a senior fellow with the Africa Growth Initiative. He focuses on Africa's development, including institutions for economic growth, the political economy, and private sector development.

Research ProjectBrookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement

The Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement monitors displacement problems worldwide, works with governments, regional bodies, international organizations and civil society to create more effective policies and institutional arrangements for Internally Displaed Persons.

ExpertVanda Felbab-Brown

Vanda Felbab-Brown focuses on the national security implications of illicit economies and strategies for managing them. She is an adjunct professor in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.

ExpertSuzanne 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.