RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Mauricio Cárdenas, February 08, 2011, The Brookings Institution
U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner recently met with Brazil's leaders in Sao Paulo to bolster ties between the two countries and collaboratively work to address economic issues, including confronting China on its currency. Mauricio Cárdenas discusses how Geithner's visit appears to be the launching pad of a renewed era of U.S.-Brazil relations, but argues that the bilateral relationship needs to move forward more decisively, especially in issues related to trade, energy and investment. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
July 2010, The Brookings Institution
This year's Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum, held August 2-3, 2010 in Washington, DC, recognizes 10 years of trade and development cooperation between the United States and Africa. The forum brings together senior government trade officials from 38 African nations with senior leadership in the U.S. government to discuss ways to stimulate economic growth and trade. Experts from the Africa Growth Initiative examine the current AGOA framework and provide recommendations on how African and U.S. policymakers should strengthen and extend AGOA in order to realize greater positive gains. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Arvind Panagariya, April 05, 2010, The Brookings Institution
On April 6, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner visited India to meet with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as they launched the new U.S.-India Economic and Financial Partnership. Prior to Geithner's visit, Arvind Panagariya discussed how the proposed partnership dialogue could advance economic ties between the two nations and the challenges they may face. Read More
PAST EVENT
Friday, February 26, 2010
11:30 AM to 1:00 PM
Washington, DC
Today's global economy is not delivering jobs that pay living wages, ensure social protection, reduce inequality and sustain balanced economic growth, and workers and employers worldwide are calling on international policymakers to address their concerns. On February 26, the Brookings Institution hosted Juan Somavía, director-general of the International Labour Organization, for a discussion on U.S. and international perspectives on globalization and economic recovery. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Eswar Prasad, February 25, 2010, U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission
The lopsided nature of trade and financial flows between the U.S. and China has complicated their bilateral relationship, tightening the economic entanglements between the two economies and making them more contentious. In testimony to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Eswar Prasad discusses the implications of rising Chinese ownership of U.S. debt for the relationship between the two countries. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Karen Dynan and Martin Neil Baily, January 11, 2010, The Brookings Institution
Karen Dynan and Martin Baily give the Obama administration an A- in its effort to restore U.S. economic confidence, offering credit for deft handling of the economic crisis but raising questions about whether the president has laid the foundation for sustained growth. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Martin Neil Baily and Eugene A. Ludwig, December 10, 2009, The Hill
Martin Baily and Eugene Ludwig congratulate policymakers for taking an important step toward the goal of creating a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency, stating that as the U.S. works to create a strong, national consumer protection standard for consumers, it is important that the single market is preserved and extended in financial services. Read More
PAST EVENT
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
9:30 AM to 4:00 PM
Washington, DC
On November 17, a day-long conference co-sponsored by Brookings and the Heritage Foundation will explore the measurement challenges associated with the recession, particularly in the financial and housing sectors; how innovation can become a standard component of our national accounting system, and how incorporating innovation metrics will aid the development of a unified picture of the sources of growth and economic disruption. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Ernest Aryeetey, November 03, 2009, The Brookings Institution
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Treasury Neal Wolin's visit to three African nations demonstrates the commitment by the current administration to African development issues. Ernest Aryeetey urges Deputy Secretary Wolin to focus on sustainable development and encourage countries to establish frameworks for long-term growth. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Larry Cordell, Karen Dynan, Andreas Lehnert, Nellie Liang and Eileen Mauskopf, October 2009, Federal Reserve Board: Finance and Economics Discussion Series
In order to shore up the housing market and prevent foreclsoures, the government has instituted the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). Larry Cordell, Karen Dynan, Andreas Lehnert, Nellie Liang and Eileen Mauskopf find that HAMP's key features should alleviate some of the previous obstacles to successful loan modifications. But, they say, the program is not well-suited to address payment problems associated with job loss, and they believe focusing on reducing payments rather than principal is ineffective when the homeowner has negative equity, with short sales being a better option. Read More
PAST EVENT
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
Washington, DC
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. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Martin Neil Baily, September 30, 2009, Pew Financial Reform Project
Martin Baily argues that if there had been better consumer protection prior to the financial crisis, it would have ameliorated the severity of the crisis and might even have forestalled it. The best choice for the United States is a single conduct-of-business regulator and the Securities and Exchange Commission is the natural home for such a consumer protection agency. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Alan J. Auerbach and William G. Gale, August 2009, Financial Stability and Macroeconomic Policy Conference
Facing the most severe recession since the 1930s, the U.S. government has pursued an aggressive countercyclical fiscal policy, which is striking given the consensus a decade ago against the use of discretionary fiscal policy as a stabilization tool. In this new paper, William Gale and Alan J. Auerbach consider the evidence on the effects of discretionary fiscal policy, beginning with how the practice of this policy has changed over time.
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RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Eswar Prasad, May 28, 2009, The Brookings Institution
U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's first trip to China will feature a range of discussions about global economic issues and the U.S.-China economic relationship. Eswar Prasad outlines some of the critical agenda items and the broader challenges facing these two closely intertwined economies. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Robert E. Litan, March 30, 2009, The Brookings Institution
Robert Litan discusses the Treasury’s six part plan for significantly reducing systemic risk in the financial system. He says the six elements in the Treasury plan, if enacted into law, should significantly reduce the likelihood of single or multiple failures of systemically important financial institutions in the future, as well as the losses to taxpayers for protecting their creditors. Read More