The Social Policy Agenda: Crowded Out or Moving Up?

With terrorism and a potential war in Iraq dominating both headlines and politicians’ attention, domestic social policy concerns have slipped into the background. Moreover, a worsening federal budget deficit has made it less likely that any costly social policy initiatives can be launched. Congress and the president have not even been able to agree on a reauthorization of the expiring 1996 welfare reform legislation. With the midterm elections putting Republicans in control of both the Senate and House of Representatives, some social policy issues may move up on the agenda.

This National Issues Forum will examine how social policy has fared over the past two years, and discuss prospects for the next two years and beyond. Below is the program and a list of participants confirmed to date; additional panelists will be added.

Panel I: The Political Context

THOMAS E. MANN
Senior Fellow, Governance Studies, and
W. Averell Harriman Chair, Brookings

BRUCE REED
President, Democratic Leadership Council
THE HONORABLE BILL FRENZEL
Guest Scholar, Governance Studies, Brookings; Former Member, U.S. House (R-Minn., 1971-91)

Panel II: The Economic And
Budgetary Context

RUDOLPH G. PENNER
Senior Fellow, Urban Institute
PETER R. ORSZAG

Joseph A. Pechman Senior Fellow,
Economic Studies, Brookings
ISABEL V. SAWHILL
Senior Fellow, Economic Studies, Brookings
Co-Director, Welfare Reform & Beyond

Panel III: What Could or Should Be On The Social Policy Agenda

RON HASKINS
Guest Scholar, Economic Studies, Brookings
TOM LOVELESS
Senior Fellow, Governance Studies, Brookings; Director, Brown Center on Education Policy
HENRY J. AARON
Senior Fellow, Economic Studies, and
Bruce and Virginia MacLaury Chair, Brookings
WILLIAM A. GALSTON
Professor, Director, Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy, University of Maryland