BOOK
Ron Haskins and Isabel V. Sawhill, September 15, 2009
Creating an Opportunity Society examines economic opportunity in the United States and explores how to create more of it, particularly for those on the bottom rungs of the economic ladder. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Jeffrey R. Kling, June 2009, The Brookings Institution
As discussion advances on healthcare reform and expansion of coverage in the U.S., the health insurance enrollment process takes on heightened importance. Jeffrey Kling looks at the issues through the lens of behavioral economics – using both psychology and economics to understand individual decision-making. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Peter W. Singer, June 02, 2009, The Washington Examiner
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" forces soldiers to lie about or hide their sexual orientation to keep from being discharged. Peter Singer believes it is time for President Obama to fulfill his campaign pledge to end the policy so that patriotic and capable military members can focus on national security instead social politics. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Douglas J. Elliott, May 20, 2009, Center On Federal Financial Institutions
As 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
Ron Haskins, Harry Holzer and Robert Lerman, May 2009, The Pew Charitable Trusts
Many low-income students miss out on college because they don’t know how much it actually costs or how to get access to billions of dollars in financial aid, says Ron Haskins. That’s why improving the equality of educational opportunity—a traditional American value—is one key to promoting economic mobility for disadvantaged students. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Julia B. Isaacs, Paul Johnson, Adam Kent, Jennifer Macomber and Tracy Vericker, April 2009, The Brookings Institution
Despite extensive research documenting the benefits of investing in young children, infants and toddlers are underrepresented in the federal budget, researchers from the Brookings and the Urban Institute found. The nation’s 12.5 million children under age 3 are 4.2 percent of the population, but they received just 2.1 percent—$44.1 billion—of federal domestic spending in 2007. Domestic outlays, which exclude defense, homeland security, and international affairs, totaled $2.1 trillion. Read More
PAST EVENT
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Washington, DC
On April 29, the John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings hosted an event on China’s "angry youth" to explore the characteristics of this unique segment of Chinese society – their views, values and behavior. Read More
PAST EVENT
Thursday, April 16, 2009
10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Washington, DC
On April 16, William Galston moderated a discussion with Alan Wolfe, author of The Future of Liberalism (Knopf, 2009), on how the liberal tradition can influence and illuminate contemporary debates on issues such as immigration, abortion, executive power, religious freedom and free speech. E.J. Dionne, Jr. and Ross Douthat offered their thoughts on liberalism’s roots and how it can be applied to today’s problems. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
William T. Dickens and Charles Baschnagel, April 2009, The Brookings Institution
Children living in families with low incomes and those with poorly educated parents are much more likely than other children to grow up to be adults with less education, lower incomes, poorer health, and shorter lives, all of which severely impact federal, state and local budgets. William T. Dickens and Charles Baschnagel examine the effects of investment in selected prekindergarten education programs in a growth model of the U.S. economy to judge the impact they would have on these budgets. Read More
PAST EVENT
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Washington, DC
The Obama administration faces a number of challenges in Latin America. The fifth Summit of the Americas offers leaders of the Western Hemisphere an opportunity to partner on a new and robust agenda that spans global economic, social, energy and climate change issues. On April 14, Brookings experts discussed the critical issues facing the leaders attending the summit and proposed recommendations for action. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Louis S. Jacobson, April 2009, Hamilton Project Discussion Paper
Each year One-Stop Career Centers help millions of unemployed and disadvantaged workers find new jobs and opportunities for advancement. Unfortunately One-Stops are hampered by poor accountability and a lack of adequate funding. Louis S. Jacobson proposes a new approach to One-Stops that would increase cost effectiveness, reduce unemployment and underemployment, and provide a more highly skilled workforce. Read More
VIDEO
Ron Haskins, April 01, 2009
Many states are considering legislation that would take benefits away from welfare, food stamp and unemployment benefit recipients who test positive for drug use. Senior Fellow Ron Haskins examines the proposed legislation and says in most cases taking away benefits would be counterproductive.
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Kevin Casas-Zamora, March 2009, Project Syndicate
Kevin Casas-Zamora analyzes the election of Mauricio Funes as El Salvador's new president. Casas-Zamora argues Funes faces an uphill battle in preaching moderation, but that the U.S. would do well to welcome his election and offer him tangible support for key social reforms. Read More
PAST EVENT
Friday, March 13, 2009
10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Washington, DC
In a recent New York Times op-ed, Brookings scholar Jonathan Rauch and co-author David Blankenhorn argue that linking federal civil unions to guarantees of religious freedom is a way to head off a long-term, scorched-earth debate over gay marriage and religious liberty. On March 13, Rauch and Blankenhorn discussed their proposal at a forum moderated by Brookings Senior Fellow William Galston. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
David Blankenhorn and Jonathan Rauch, March 02, 2009, Talk of the Nation, NPR
Brookings expert Jonathan Rauch and David Blankenhorn of the Institute of American Values joined Neal Conan on Talk of the Nation to discuss a federal compromise on the issue of same-sex marriage. Read More