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Social Security

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioFacing the Music: The Fiscal Outlook at the End of the Bush Administration

Alan J. Auerbach, Jason Furman and William G. Gale, May 08, 2008, The Brookings Institution

Facing the Music: The Fiscal Outlook at the End of the Bush Administration

This paper discusses the most recent Congressional Budget Office baseline projection, and uses it to examine the causes of the fiscal decline since 2000 and the medium- and longer-term fiscal outlook.

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Fiscal Policy, Taxes, Social Security, Medicare, Retirement

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioBudget Chaos: What, Me Worry?

Bill Frenzel and Ron Haskins, April 07, 2008, The Washington Times

Budget Chaos: What, Me Worry?As the baby boomers begin to retire this year, the burden of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid will grow relentlessly. With more people in the programs and more expensive benefits, the nation will quickly encounter a budget disaster. Bill Frenzel and Ron Haskins say that dramatic reforms are needed to avoid budget chaos for future generations. Read More

Fiscal Policy, Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, Budget Deficit

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioTaking Back our Fiscal Future

April 2008, The Brookings Institution and the Heritage Foundation

Unsustainable deficits in the federal budget threaten the health and vigor of the American economy. When the next president and Congress take office in January 2009, they will face one crucial question that has been almost absent from the current election campaign: how to close the enormous gap between projected federal spending and revenues. Read More

Fiscal Policy, Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, Federal Budget

PAST EVENT

Save to My PortfolioTaking Back Our Fiscal Future

Monday, March 31, 2008
Washington, DC

Reuters/Peter MorganSome of the nation’s top economists and budget policy experts presented a new paper arguing that the first step toward establishing budget responsibility is to reform the budget decision process so that Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid—the major drivers of escalating deficits—are no longer on auto-pilot. Read More

Fiscal Policy, Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, Budget Deficit

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioBudget Crisis, Entitlement Crisis, Health Care Financing Problem—Which Is It?

Henry J. Aaron, Fall 2007, Health Affairs

Henry Aaron raises questions about the health-care budget and finding solutions to this long term problem. Read More

Health Care, Medicare, Medicaid, Retirement, Social Security

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioWhy the 2005 Social Security Initiative Failed, and What it Means for the Future

William A. Galston, September 21, 2007, NYU John Brademas Center

Italian PM Berlusconi addresses a joint session of the US Congress in the Capitol in WashingtonPresident Bush made Social Security reform his top domestic priority in 2004. In this paper, Brookings's William Galston examines why the president's proposal failed and the politics of Social Security reform.  Read More

U.S. Congress, Retirement, Social Security, Saving, U.S. Economy

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioCoping with Demographic Uncertainty

Jason Furman, September 2007, New York University - John Brademas Center for the Study of Congress

Paper by Jason Furman (September 2007) Read More

Social Security, Demographics

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioSocial Security Smorgasbord? Lessons from Sweden's Individual Pension Accounts

R. Kent Weaver, June 2005, The Brookings Institution

Policy Brief #140, by R. Kent Weaver (June 2005) Read More

Social Security, Retirement, Saving, U.S. Economy

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioPension Reform and Saving

Barry P. Bosworth and Gary Burtless, January 05, 2004, The Brookings Institution

Paper by Barry P. Bosworth and Gary Burtless (1/5/04) Read More

Retirement, Macroeconomics, Social Security, Saving, U.S. Economy

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioSupply-Side Consequences of Social Security Reform: Impacts on Saving and Employment

Barry P. Bosworth and Gary Burtless, January 2004, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College

Paper by Barry Bosworth and Gary Burtless, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College (January 2004) Read More

Retirement, Macroeconomics, Social Security, Saving, U.S. Economy

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioPension Reform and Incentives for Saving and Retirement

Barry P. Bosworth and Gary Burtless, February 2003, 5th International Forum of the Collaboration Projects, Economic and Social Research Institute

A paper by Barry P. Bosworth and Gary Burtless ((1/29/2003) Read More

Social Security, Retirement, Macroeconomics, Saving, Pensions

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioVoluntary Individual Accounts: The Lessons from the U.K. Experience

Peter R. Orszag, July 31, 2001, House Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Social Security

Testimony by Peter R. Orszag, Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution, before the United States House Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Social Security, July 31, 2001 Read More

Social Security, United Kingdom, Retirement, Saving, U.S. Economy

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioDistributional Impact of Social Security Reforms: Summary

Barry P. Bosworth, Claudia Sahm and Gary Burtless, August 2000, The Brookings Institution

A paper by Barry Bosworth, Gary Burtless, and Claudia Sahm (8/22/2000) Read More

Retirement, Macroeconomics, Social Security, Saving, Pensions

PAST EVENT

Save to My PortfolioLiving Longer: The Challenges of an Aging Population

Thursday, May 25, 2000
Washington, D.C.

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Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Retirement, Aging

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioThe Effects of Social Security Reform on Saving, Investment, and the Level and Distribution of Worker Well-Being

Barry P. Bosworth and Gary Burtless, January 2000, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College

The Effects of Social Security Reform on Saving, Investment, and the Level and Distribution of Worker Well-Being Read More

Social Security, Retirement, Saving, Pensions, U.S. Economy

In Brief

Social Security, instituted in 1935, has provided tens of millions of Americans with income for retirement. Currently, more money is collected in Social Security taxes from workers than is paid out to retirees – but that ratio will reverse in just a few years when the “baby boomers” start to retire. Options to close the gap include more borrowing, higher taxes or reduced benefits.

Featured Experts

Henry J. Aaron

Henry J. Aaron

Senior Fellow, Economic Studies
The Bruce and Virginia MacLaury Chair

A noted health care expert, Henry Aaron focuses on the reform of health care financing; public systems such as Medicare and Medicaid; Social Security; and tax and budget policy.
Read More

Jason Furman

Jason Furman

Senior Fellow, Economic Studies

Jason Furman is the director of The Hamilton Project, a Brookings policy initiative aimed at promoting economic growth and opportunity. A former White House adviser, he has conducted research and policy work on issues that include taxes, health care and Social Security.
Read More

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