If, When, How? Prospects for Fiscal Stimulus in the U.S. Economy

With the housing and financial markets still in distress and consumer confidence slipping, there is growing evidence that an economic slowdown – or even a recession – may be on the horizon. On January 10, the Hamilton Project released a briefing paper and convened a discussion on what economists know about fiscal stimulus – if it is appropriate, when should it be implemented, and how it should it be done.

Brookings Senior Fellow Douglas W. Elmendorf provided a short overview of the new paper, followed by a roundtable discussion on these broader issues. Former Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin will moderate the panel of economic experts, including former Council of Economic Advisers Chairman and current Harvard University Professor Martin Feldstein; Hamilton Project Director and Brookings Senior Fellow Jason Furman; Brookings Senior Fellow Alice M. Rivlin, a former vice chairman of the Federal Reserve and director of the Office of Management & Budget; and Moody’s Economy.com Chief Economist Mark Zandi.

Event Materials:

Download full event audio »

If, When and How: A Primer on Fiscal Stimulus by Douglas W. Elmendorf and Jason Furman
Q&A: President Bush’s Plan for Economic Stimulus with Jason Furman
Douglas W. Elmendorf’s prepared remarks
Read the full uncorrected transcript