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2. Borrowers with Large Balances: Rising Student Debt and Falling Repayment Rates
- Author:
- Adam Looney and Constantine Yannelis
- Publication Date:
- 02-2018
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- We examine the distribution of student loan balances and repayment rates in the United States using administrative student loan data. We show that increases in credit limits and expansions in credit availability resulted in rising borrowing amounts, and that the share of borrowers holding very large balances has surged. For instance, the share of borrowers leaving school with more than $50,000 of federal student debt increased from 2 percent in 1992 to 17 percent in 2014. Consequently, a small share of borrowers now owes the majority of loan dollars in the United States. Although these large-balance borrowers have historically strong labor market outcomes and low rates of default, repayment rates have slowed significantly between 1990 and 2014 reflecting, in part, changes in the characteristics of students, the schools they attended, and the rising amounts borrowed. A decomposition analysis indicates that changes in the types of institutions attended, student demographics, default rates, and increased participation of alternative repayment plans and forbearance largely explain the decrease in student loan repayment.
- Topic:
- Education and International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- America
3. Unpacked: New trade tariffs and the U.S. economy
- Author:
- Eswar Prasad
- Publication Date:
- 01-2018
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Brookings Senior Fellow Eswar Prasad unpacks the impact of the new steel and aluminum tariffs proposed by the Trump administration. He explains that the new tariffs have undermined America’s leadership as proponents of free trade and will decrease America’s economic influence across the globe.
- Topic:
- International Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- America
4. Unpacked: The threat from North Korea
- Author:
- Jonathan Pollack
- Publication Date:
- 04-2017
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Brookings Senior Fellow and SK-Korea Foundation Chair Jonathan Pollack explains the threat that North Korea poses to the United States, its neighbors, and the world. Pollack also explores the different options that the United States has to handle threats from North Korea and describes the different scenarios that could escalate tensions between the United States and North Korea.
- Topic:
- International Security and Geopolitics
- Political Geography:
- America, North Korea, and Global Focus
5. Renegotiating NAFTA: Options for investment protection
- Author:
- Geoffrey Gertz
- Publication Date:
- 03-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- President Donald Trump has promised to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which links the United States with two of its largest trading partners, Canada and Mexico. Officials in both Canada and Mexico have signaled they are open to renegotiations, and talks are expected to begin soon. New commerce secretary Wilbur Ross has indicated he hopes the negotiations could be completed within a year.
- Topic:
- International Relations, International Trade and Finance, and International Security
- Political Geography:
- America, Canada, and Mexico
6. India and the United States in the Trump era: Re-evaluating bilateral and global relations
- Author:
- Dhruva Jaishankar
- Publication Date:
- 06-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Donald Trump’s election at a time of growing and converging interests between India and the United States necessitates a re-evaluation of several aspects of Indian domestic and foreign policy. This paper identifies four areas in which Trump’s election affects Indian interests: bilateral relations (encompassing trade, investment, immigration, and technological cooperation), the Asian balance of power, counterterrorism, and global governance. It argues that India must continue to engage with the Trump administration and other stakeholders in the United States—including the U.S. Congress, state governments, and the private sector—in all of these areas. New Delhi must attempt to convince Washington that India’s rise is in American interest. This idea provided the underlying logic behind the Clinton, Bush, and Obama administrations’ engagement with India, but it will be more difficult to sustain given the United States’ new political realities and impulses.
- Topic:
- International Relations and International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- America and India
7. Unpacked: US NAFTA renegotiations
- Author:
- Joseph Parilla
- Publication Date:
- 09-2017
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Brookings Fellow Joseph Parilla discusses the renegotiation of NAFTA 25 years after its creation and explains the importance of NAFTA to the U.S. economy at both the national and local level.
- Topic:
- International Political Economy and International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- America and Global Focus
8. The Trans-Pacific Partnership The politics of openness and leadership in the Asia-Pacific
- Author:
- MIREYA SOLIS and Mireya Solis
- Publication Date:
- 10-2016
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Trade policy, and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in particular, is vitally connected to the national interests of prosperity, security, and governance. With novel rules on the digital economy, high tariff elimina- tion targets, and disciplines to address behind-the-border protectionism, the TPP creates opportunities for American sectors that enjoy competitive strength—services, advanced manufacturing, agriculture—to expand their reach in overseas markets. Projected annual income gains from this trade deal range between $57 billion and $131 billion by 2032, compared to a base- line scenario. In sharp contrast to the experience of import competition with China, the TPP will not impose large adjustment costs in terms of employment and wages, generating instead a net (albeit small) positive effect on job creation and wage rates. However, the individual costs for displaced employees are very high, and the contours of a new pro-adjustment safety net that enables workers to navigate difficult economic transitions (brought about by technological change or trade) are highlighted below.
- Topic:
- Globalization, International Political Economy, and International Trade and Finance
- Political Geography:
- America and Asia-Pacific
9. China’s Global Rise Can the EU and U.S. Pursue a Coordinated Strategy?
- Author:
- Philippe Le Corre and Jonathan Pollack
- Publication Date:
- 10-2016
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- China’s emergence as a global economic power and its fuller integration in the international order are among the principal policy challenges facing Europe and the United States in the early 21st century. At the time of Beijing’s entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, China (though already growing rapidly) was in global terms an economic actor of limited consequence. A decade and a half later, China’s transformation is without parallel in economic history. Over the past 15 years, China has experienced an eightfold increase in GDP, enabling it to serve as the pri- mary engine of global economic growth in the early 21st century. It has leapfrogged from sixth to second place among the world’s economies, trail- ing only the United States in absolute economic size. In addition, China has become the world’s leading trading state and is now the second largest source of outward foreign direct investment. Change of this magnitude has enhanced China’s political power and eco- nomic leverage. It has also stimulated China’s internal economic evolution, simultaneously expanding the power of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) while also contributing to major growth in the private sector. China has also begun to think bigger, devoting increased attention to the rules of global economic governance. Although Beijing insists it has no intention of supplanting the existing international order, China contends that chang- ing power realities will require modification of global rules.
- Topic:
- International Cooperation, International Political Economy, and Geopolitics
- Political Geography:
- China, America, and Europe
10. A Framework for U.S. Policy toward China
- Author:
- Jeffrey Bader
- Publication Date:
- 03-2016
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Serious people understand that the manner in which the United States deals with China will be a critical, if not the critical, overseas chal- lenge for the United States in the 21st century. China will likely be the largest economy in the world within one or two decades; the second or third strongest military soon, if not already; and competitive with the United States and Europe in global economic, and perhaps political and cultural, influence in some regions. China is ruled by a Communist Par- ty resistant to political liberalization at home and wedded to nationalist rhetoric and behavior in dealing with its neighborhood, enhancing the chances for rivalry with the United States. For those students of history who see conflict as the likely outcome when ris- ing powers encounter dominant powers, these are precursors of a dark future. How should we deal with China? What policy framework best optimizes our interests, which are multiple and not always consistent with each oth- er? Americans are in the midst of an ongoing presidential campaign that, in a better world, would be asking and answering such questions, but this is not such a campaign.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Foreign Policy, and International Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- China and America
11. Nuclear Arms Control Choices for the Next Administration
- Author:
- Steven Pifer
- Publication Date:
- 10-2016
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- rms control has figured on the agenda between Washington and Moscow since the 1960s. Suc- cessive U.S. administrations since that of Richard Nixon have pursued negotiated arms control arrangements to limit and reduce the number of Soviet (and Russian) nuclear weapons, to enhance strategic stability, to increase transparency and predictability, to reduce the costs of U.S. nuclear forces, and to bolster America’s non-proliferation credentials. Negotiations on arms control have proceeded in times of both good and difficult relations. At times, progress on arms control has helped drive a more positive over- all relationship between Washington and Moscow. At other times, differences over arms control and related issues have contributed to a downward slide in rela- tions. The next president will take office in January 2017, when the overall U.S.-Russia relationship is at its lowest point since the end of the Cold War.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Arms Control and Proliferation, Nuclear Weapons, and International Security
- Political Geography:
- Russia and America
12. Back from the Brink Toward Restraint and Dialogue between Russia and the West
- Author:
- William Perry and Deep Cuts Commission
- Publication Date:
- 06-2016
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- This report contains a number of bold proposals on how to better manage relations between the West and Russia in order to avert worst-case scenarios. Specifying that cooperative solutions are pos- sible without giving up on the fundamental interests of each side, it warrants a close look by officials in both Moscow and Washington.
- Topic:
- International Relations, International Cooperation, International Security, International Affairs, and Geopolitics
- Political Geography:
- Russia, America, Europe, and Global Focus
13. Jordan: The Geopolitical Service Provider
- Author:
- Emmanuel Comolet
- Publication Date:
- 02-2014
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Jordan is in the eye of the Arab cyclone. It remains stable while surrounded by chaotic political situations in Syria, Iraq, Palestine and the Sinai Peninsula. Jordan has not experienced the massive demonstrations aimed at regime change that have been seen elsewhere in the region, and its relative stability has enabled it to cash in on the geo-political services it provides. These services include: hosting refugees from Palestine, Iraq or Syria; remaining a reliable ally for many international powers; featuring a strong army that plays a stabilizing role in the region; serving as an intermediary when neighboring countries need a host or a dealmaker; and providing qualified Jordanian workers to fill open vacancies for companies and countries, especially in the Gulf. The current stability in Jordan matches well its historic capacity to resist and adapt to shocks. However, the contemporary situation of the labor market reveals that the weaknesses observed in the countries having experienced revolutions (e.g., Tunisia and Egypt) are also present in Jordan; labor market participation is low with very few women active, and the unemployment rate of educated young people is worrisome. Both the number of Jordanians working abroad and the number of migrant workers in Jordan show the discrepancy between demand and supply of labor in Jordan. This could become problematic, since the economic situation has been worsening, notably with fewer public jobs available. Hence there is a need for international donors to keep supporting Jordan in a difficult regional environment, for the government of Jordan to wittily manage the balance between Transjordanians and West Bankers in the near future and for new workers to alter their expectations in searching for opportunities outside the public sector.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Political Violence, Democratization, Armed Struggle, and Counterinsurgency
- Political Geography:
- Iraq, America, Middle East, Arabia, Syria, and Tunisia
14. Designing Youth Employment Policies in Egypt
- Author:
- Akira Murata
- Publication Date:
- 01-2014
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- The paper uses a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to elicit job preferences among youth, and analyzes survey data collected from engineering students at 10 universities in six cities in Egypt during the period of July through October 2013. For a comparative analysis, the survey was also conducted at eight universities in five cities in Indonesia, which is one of the nations in Asia with a Muslim-majority population that faces the same demographic issue. The findings of this research will contribute to building a foundation for designing youth employment policies in Egypt. The most obvious findings to emerge from this study are that: the public-private sector wage differentials must be narrowed; better benefits must accompany private sector employment (particularly support for continuing education, upgrading qualifications, and health insurance); and good IT infrastructure matters. Taken together, these steps could significantly contribute to an increase in the rates of a private sector employment among young Egyptian job seekers, even in the case of continued high public sector wages.
- Topic:
- Conflict Prevention, Economics, International Trade and Finance, Islam, Labor Issues, and Youth Culture
- Political Geography:
- Africa, America, and Arabia
15. Adjusting to China: A Challenge to the U.S. Manufacturing Sector
- Author:
- Martin Neil Baily
- Publication Date:
- 01-2011
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- During an "exit interview" with the Wall Street Journal, departing National Economic Council Director Lawrence Summers argued that history would judge the United States based on how well we adjust to China's emergence as a great power, economically and politically. In the face of China's progress, America's manufacturing sector faces major challenges in becoming and remaining competitive and our choice of national economic policies will affect how well we meet those challenges. It is essential that the U.S. trade deficit not balloon as the economy recovers. There is scope to expand our exports in services and agriculture, but improving the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing is vital.
- Topic:
- International Trade and Finance, Markets, and Bilateral Relations
- Political Geography:
- United States, China, and America
16. Opportunity through Education: Two Proposals
- Author:
- Grover J. "Russ" Whitehurst
- Publication Date:
- 03-2011
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- The new normal for local, state and federal governments is fiscal austerity. Although President Obama supported education during his State of the Union address and in his budget proposal to Congress, cash-strapped localities and states—which foot most of the bill for educating America's children— may have to balance their budgets with cuts to schools and teachers. The recession exposed a long-developing structural imbalance between public expenditure versus raising the revenue for public services. Especially on education, reality has set in, with a vengeance.
- Topic:
- Education, Science and Technology, and Financial Crisis
- Political Geography:
- United States and America
17. A Bridge to Somewhere: Rethinking American Transportation for the 21st Century
- Author:
- Robert Puentes
- Publication Date:
- 06-2008
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- In the past, strategic investments in our nation's transportation infrastructure—the railroads in the 19th century, the interstates in the 20th—turbocharged growth and transformed the country. But more recently, America's transportation infrastructure has not kept pace with the growth and evolution of its economy. At the precise time when the nation desperately needs to prioritize its limited investments and resources, the federal transportation program has lost focus.
- Topic:
- Development, Environment, and Government
- Political Geography:
- United States and America
18. Candidate Issue Index: Trade
- Author:
- Lael Brainard
- Publication Date:
- 02-2008
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Compiled by Brookings Institution experts, this chart is part of a series of issue indices to be published during the 2008 Presidential election cycle. The policy issues included in this series were chosen by Brookings staff and represent the most critical topics facing America's next President. Available voting records and statements vary based on time in office. For candidates who have not been a Member of Congress, public statements are noted when available.
- Topic:
- Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Politics
- Political Geography:
- United States and America
19. The Future of Red, Blue and Purple America
- Author:
- Ruy Teixeira
- Publication Date:
- 01-2008
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Political polarization in the United States has a number of causes, ranging from media hype to gerrymandering to hyper- ideological elites to cultural “sorting” between the parties. But there is another key contributor that is frequently overlooked: demographic and geographic changes in the electorate that have altered the sizes of different population groups and even shifted their political orientations over time. These changes have helped produce the current deadlock between coalitions of roughly equal size and opposed outlooks. But these same changes—since they will continue to alter group sizes and political orientations in the future—could also provide the impetus for unlocking this polarization and policy gridlock in the future.
- Topic:
- Democratization, Economics, and Politics
- Political Geography:
- United States and America
20. Engagement with the Muslim Community and Counterterrorism: British Lessons for the West
- Author:
- H.A. Hellyer
- Publication Date:
- 12-2007
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Historians will undoubtedly record that the events of September 11th, 2001 were a turning point for policy makers and politicians in the United States of America. America faced a new kind of security threat, the response to which would spark a series of difficult chain-reactions and challenge core national values. More than six years on, America is still grappling with the question of how to respond, both domestically and internationally, to the terrorist threat.
- Topic:
- Ethnic Conflict, Islam, and Terrorism
- Political Geography:
- United States, United Kingdom, America, and Europe
21. The Third California: The Golden State's New Frontier
- Author:
- Joel Kotkin and William H. Frey
- Publication Date:
- 03-2007
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- For most Americans, California evokes coastal images, the sunny beaches of south or the spectacular urban vistas of San Francisco Bay. Yet within California itself, the state's focus is shifting increasingly beyond the narrow strip of land between the coast- line and its first line of mountain ranges.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, and Environment
- Political Geography:
- United States, America, and California
22. Restoring Prosperity: The State Role in Revitalizing America's Older Industrial Cities
- Author:
- Jennifer S. Vey
- Publication Date:
- 05-2007
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- The evidence is clear. On the whole, America's central cities are coming back. Employment is up, populations are growing, and many urban real estate markets are hotter than ever, with increasing numbers of young people, empty-nesters, and others choosing city life over the suburbs.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, Globalization, and Government
- Political Geography:
- America
23. Saluting Urban Market Pathfinders
- Author:
- Alyssa Stewart Lee
- Publication Date:
- 05-2007
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- While many developers and investors intuitively believe in the potential for profitable returns in American cities, there is a lack of visibility into what works and what does not work in urban markets. This week the Urban Markets Initiative at the Brookings Institution honors Urban Market Pathfinders who have demonstrated excellence capturing market potential by investing in communities.
- Topic:
- Civil Society, Demographics, Development, and Markets
- Political Geography:
- America
24. Global Service Fellowships: Building Bridges through American Volunteers
- Author:
- David L. Caprara, John Bridgeland, and Harris Wofford
- Publication Date:
- 07-2007
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- As policy-makers search for ways to share the best of America with the world, they should start with our international volunteers, who embody this country's spirit of generosity, resourcefulness and hope. With the support of Congress and the Bush Administration, volunteers can become the first face of America to communities in many nations, while advancing concrete initiatives that lift up the lives of the poor throughout the world.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Economics, and Humanitarian Aid
- Political Geography:
- United States and America
25. Give Credit Where Credit is Due
- Author:
- Patrick D. Walker, Robin Varghese, Ann Schnare, Alyssa Stewart Lee, and Michael A. Turner
- Publication Date:
- 12-2006
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Despite the vast accomplishments of the American credit system, approximately 35 million to 54 million Americans remain outside the credit system. For a variety of reasons, mainstream lenders have too little information on them to evaluate risk and thereby extend credit. As a result, those in most need of credit often turn to check cashing services and payday loan providers, with effective interest rates as high as 500 percent. The lack of reliable credit places them at a great disadvantage in building assets (such as homes, small businesses, or loans for education) and thereby improving their lives.
- Topic:
- Demographics, Economics, Government, and Poverty
- Political Geography:
- America
26. Two Steps Back: City and Suburban Poverty Trends 1999-2005
- Author:
- Elizabeth Kneebone and Alan Berube
- Publication Date:
- 12-2006
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- The first half of the current decade brought economic uncertainty and hardship for many Americans. In stark contrast to the late 1990s, when employment and wages were growing at historic rates, the 2000s have been marked by an economic recession, stagnant wages for many workers, and job losses followed by what some have termed a “jobless recovery.”
- Topic:
- Civil Society, Demographics, Economics, and Poverty
- Political Geography:
- America
27. The State of American Cities
- Author:
- Bruce Katz and Alan Berube
- Publication Date:
- 11-2006
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- This summary report provides an overview of The State of American Cities. It addresses four major questions that are explored in further detail in the topic report: What are the current trends and drivers of change in US cities? What factors measure and explain city success in the U.S? What policies have promoted the success of US cities? What can English cities learn from this? The report argues that whilst the US and England are marked by significant cultural and political differences in their views on cities, the two nations are undergoing similar economic and demographic transitions that pave the way for a useful comparative policy dialogue on urban areas.
- Topic:
- Civil Society and Economics
- Political Geography:
- United States, United Kingdom, America, Europe, and England
28. Using the Earned Income Tax Credit to Stimulate Local Economies
- Author:
- Alan Berube
- Publication Date:
- 11-2006
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Over the 30 years of its existence the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) has been described variously as a wage supplement, a program to reduce tax burdens, an antipoverty tool, a welfare-to-work program, and a form of labor market insurance. The program has enjoyed expansions under both Republican and Democratic administrations, and in 2006, the EITC will provide more than $40 billion to low-income working families. The credit lifts nearly 5 million Americans above the poverty line each year. Moreover, because the EITC aids only those families with earnings from work, researchers have credited it with raising labor force participation levels and helping families transition from welfare to work.
- Topic:
- Economics, Human Welfare, and Markets
- Political Geography:
- United States and America
29. Measuring the Informal Economy - One Neighborhood at a Time
- Author:
- Yusef Freeman, John Talmage, and Jamie Alderslade
- Publication Date:
- 09-2006
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- The study of the urban informal economy has expanded in the last thirty years, challenging researchers to find more accurate methods of quantifying its activity. This paper examines recent works that focused on the urban informal economy in particular, and evaluates different definitions and techniques for measuring it. Methods discussed include indirect estimation methods, such as currency demand, electricity consumption, and labor force statistical profiles, as well as direct estimation measures such as labor force and household surveys. This paper discusses the prospects for applying these largely macro-level methods to more micro-market analysis and speculates on the avail ability and usefulness of existing data sources in the United States. It concludes by suggesting that there is much room for further research on the size, determinants and implications of the informal economy in American cities and calls for new efforts to align different methods of measuring the inform al economy so they can be increasingly used to support decision-making processes in the public and private sectors.
- Topic:
- Demographics, Economics, and Markets
- Political Geography:
- United States and America
30. Corporate Citizenship and Urban Problem Solving: The Changing Civic Role of Business Leaders in American Cities
- Author:
- Royce Hanson, Hal Wolman, David Connolly, and Katherine Pearson
- Publication Date:
- 09-2006
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Business-led civic organizations have historically played an important role in urban policymaking, planning, and renewal. These elite organizations of CEOs of the area's largest employers could quickly mobilize their members' personal devotion to the community, their deal making talent, and their ability to commit corporate financial resources to their city's emerging needs.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, Emerging Markets, and Industrial Policy
- Political Geography:
- America
31. From Traditional to Reformed: A Review of the Land Use Regulations in the Nation's 50 largest Metropolitan Areas
- Author:
- Jonathan Martin, Robert Puentes, and Rolf Pendall
- Publication Date:
- 08-2006
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- A key component of the struggle for prosperity in American metropolitan areas is development patterns, which define everything from density to the socioeconomic make up of residents. Development patterns are partly a consequence of decisions by local governments—often with very little coordination, oversight, or even guidance from state or regional entities—about the physical character of new growth. Among the most important of these decisions is how to regulate land; a prerogative that local governments guard jealously.
- Topic:
- Demographics, Development, and Environment
- Political Geography:
- United States and America
32. Where Did They Go? The Decline of Middle-Income Neighborhoods in Metropolitan America
- Author:
- George Galster, Jackie Cutsinger, and Jason C. Booza
- Publication Date:
- 06-2006
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Middle-income families, the icon of the American Dream, have become a somewhat less prominent part of the American demographic profile over the last quartercentury. Numerous researchers have documented how growing economic inequality in the U.S., characterized by an increasing bifurcation of the income distribution, has slowed the growth of a once-broad American middle class.
- Topic:
- Demographics, Economics, and Human Welfare
- Political Geography:
- United States and America
33. Fulfilling the Promise: Seven Steps to Successful Community-Based Information Strategies
- Author:
- Pari Sabety
- Publication Date:
- 05-2006
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- While some neighborhoods in American cities are resurgent, many others remain stubbornly entrenched in a cycle of underinvestment. A contributing factor is that—despite thriving immigrant populations, high volumes of cash transactions, and relatively stable housing markets—these neighborhoods are victims of an urban information gap which undervalues their commercial potential. The importance of good information for private and public investments is widely acknowledged, but fragmented funding, lack of standards, and spotty data has impeded either effective or universal use of these tools. This paper sets forth seven steps for practitioners and investors to follow in investing in local community information initiatives and, in turn, close the urban information gap and accelerate investment in these markets.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, and Poverty
- Political Geography:
- United States and America
34. Credit Scores, Reports, and Getting Ahead in America
- Author:
- Matt Fellowes
- Publication Date:
- 05-2006
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Everyday, more than 27,000 employees in the credit bureau industry walk into over 1,000 locations around the country and process over 66 million items of information. Out of this massive churning of activity, credit bureaus produce consumer credit reports and scores, two of the most powerful determinants of modern American consumer life.
- Topic:
- Civil Society, Economics, and Markets
- Political Geography:
- United States and America
35. Overcoming Barriers to Mobility: The Role of Place in the United States and UK
- Author:
- Alan Berube
- Publication Date:
- 04-2006
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- In late 2004 and the first half of 2005, the US media elite caught the mobility bug. Within weeks of one another, three newspapers of national record – The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal , and the Los Angeles Times – each independently published a series of articles describing, by various measures, whether and how Americans are 'getting ahead' today. Collectively, the articles offered a re-examination of a powerful narrative in the United States: that of a classless society, with boundless opportunity awaiting those who choose to seize it.
- Topic:
- Civil Society and Development
- Political Geography:
- United States, United Kingdom, America, and Europe
36. One-Fifth of the Nation: America's First Suburbs
- Author:
- David Warren and Robert Puentes
- Publication Date:
- 02-2006
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- One of the more encouraging metropolitan policy trends over the last several years is the increased attention on America's older, inner-ring, “first” suburbs. Beginning generally with Myron Orfield's Metropolitics in 1997, a slow but steady stream of research has started to shine a bright light on these places and begun to establish the notion that first suburbs have their own unique set of characteristics and challenges that set them apart from the rest of metropolitan America. Since then first suburbs in a few regions have assumed a small, but significant, role in advancing research and policy discussions about metropolitan growth and development.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, and Migration
- Political Geography:
- United States and America
37. The Earned Income Tax Credit at Age 30: What We Know
- Author:
- Steve Holt
- Publication Date:
- 02-2006
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), the nation's largest antipoverty program for working families, plays an important role in the economic life of America's low- income households and communities. It increases the ability of workers in lower paying jobs to support themselves and their families. It represents a large inflow of resources into local economies. It magnifies the importance of the annual tax filing process. The federal EITC turned 30 years old in 2005. During the past 20 years, many states and localities have enacted versions of the federal credit to benefit their own residents. Meanwhile, a new generation of local leaders has emerged to publicize the availability of the EITC and related tax credits for lower-income families and neighborhoods, and to argue for progressive federal tax policies.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, and Government
- Political Geography:
- America
38. How Well Are American Students Learning?
- Author:
- Tom Loveless
- Publication Date:
- 10-2006
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- This report launches the second volume of the Brown Center Report on American Education. The five issues of volume one were published from 2000 to 2004. Volume one included regular reports on data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and state assessments, analysis of student achievement in charter schools, a study of trends in homework, evaluations of the federal government's Blue Ribbon Schools Program, an investigation of the academic performance of high schools with powerhouse sports teams, analyses of student achievement in urban school districts and rural schools, a survey of exchange students from countries abroad to see what they think of American schools, and a survey of the mathematics preparation of middle school math teachers. Volume two will explore similar topics related to how well American students are learning.
- Topic:
- Civil Society, Education, and Government
- Political Geography:
- United States and America
39. The Effects of Investing in Early Education on Economic Growth
- Author:
- Jeffrey Tebbs, Isabel V. Sawhill, and William T. Dickens
- Publication Date:
- 04-2006
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Many in Congress and the administration have called for new investments in education in order to make the United States more competitive, with President Bush stressing the importance of education in preparing young Americans to “fill the jobs of the 21st century.” Yet advocates of early childhood education have only recently stressed the economic benefits of preschool programs, and it has been difficult to win support for these short-term investments given the long-term nature of the benefits to the economy.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, Education, and Government
- Political Geography:
- America
40. The Decline of the Underclass
- Author:
- Paul A. Jargowsky and Isabel V. Sawhill
- Publication Date:
- 01-2006
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Hurricane Katrina reminded the nation of the consequences of entrenched poverty, and Congress now faces complicated policy questions set against the backdrop of class and race. As America confronts these issues in cities and states beyond the Gulf Coast, it is important to realize that the number of poor people living in troubled neighborhoods—often described by journalists as the “underclass”—are actually fewer now than in the 1980s. Yet public policies that encourage education, work, and opportunity are urgently needed to keep that positive trend from reversing.
- Topic:
- Demographics, Development, Economics, and Government
- Political Geography:
- America
41. Pakistan and the Crescent of Crisis
- Author:
- Stephen P. Cohen
- Publication Date:
- 04-2005
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Situated at the intersection of many American and European concerns, Pakistan has been linked to terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and Islamic extremism; it is politically unstable and economically problematic, and has recently undergone a series of crises, some with nuclear overtones, with India. Pakistan is also located at a geostrategic crossroad, bound to India by geography, culture, and chronic enmity; a self-proclaimed Islamic state with many ties to the Muslim and Arab worlds; long-standing ambitions in Afghanistan and We stand Central Asia, and en during military and strategic ties to China and North Korea.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Nuclear Weapons, and Terrorism
- Political Geography:
- Pakistan, Afghanistan, America, Europe, Central Asia, Middle East, and India
42. Insuring America's Workers in a New Era of Offshoring
- Author:
- Robert E. Litan, Nicholas Warren, and Lael Brainard
- Publication Date:
- 07-2005
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- With a new wave of white-collar offshoring coming fast on the heels of accelerated job losses in manufacturing, an ever-broader pool of American workers is finding that the nation's safety net has more holes than netting. The nation can and must do more to help insure the livelihoods of American workers in the face of structural shifts of whatever form, while preserving the benefits of an open and innovative economy. With technological change and offshoring accelerating job turnover and the pace at which workers' job-specific skills lose value, the time has come for the federal government to strengthen the existing safety net.
- Topic:
- Economics, Government, and Human Welfare
- Political Geography:
- United States and America
43. Insuring America's Workers in a New Era of Offshoring
- Author:
- Robert E. Litan, Nicholas Warren, and Lael Brainard
- Publication Date:
- 07-2005
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- With a new wave of white-collar offshoring coming fast on the heels of accelerated job losses in manufacturing, an ever-broader pool of American workers is finding that the nation's safety net has more holes than netting. The nation can and must do more to help insure the livelihoods of American workers in the face of structural shifts of whatever form, while preserving the benefits of an open and innovative economy. With technological change and offshoring accelerating job turnover and the pace at which workers' job-specific skills lose value, the time has come for the federal government to strengthen the existing safety net.
- Topic:
- Economics, Government, Human Welfare, and Poverty
- Political Geography:
- America
44. Bush and Kerry: Questions About Governing Styles
- Author:
- Charles O. Jones
- Publication Date:
- 06-2004
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Political campaigns are about governing. Candidates offer themselves to the public and endure a grueling process of nomination and election. Campaigns generate a lot of headlines, but it's what comes afterward that counts. Voters usually are left guessing about how each of the candidates would govern. In 2000, the Brookings Institution, the American Enterprise Institute, and the Hoover Institution jointly conducted several forums with journalists and the presidential candidates' close associates that explored how each of the candidates would govern based on their backgrounds, experience, and leadership styles.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Foreign Policy, Government, and Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- America
45. "Offshoring" Service Jobs: Bane or Boon and What to Do?
- Author:
- Lael Brainard and Robert E. Litan
- Publication Date:
- 04-2004
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Americans worry the economy is permanently shedding jobs and compressing wages, not only in manufacturing but also now in services once assumed immune to foreign competition. The digitization of information and expanded bandwidth abroad are enabling companies to outsource to low-wage countries services ranging from routine call center work to higher-value software programming, medical diagnosis, and research and analytical activities.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Foreign Policy, Government, and Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- America
46. The Insurance Industry in America
- Author:
- Robert E. Litan and Richard J. Herring
- Publication Date:
- 03-2004
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Economists and insurance experts have studied the industry for many years and have developed a series of theoretical concepts to explain how insurance markets function. The prevailing view of the demand for insurance was summed up by one conference participant who noted that an economically rational consumer would understand that apart from certain tax benefits, when you buy insurance, you're making a bet with an insurance company, which the insurance comp any wins on average because it must cover administrative costs and earn a competitive return for its shareholders. From this perspective it makes sense to insure only against potential losses so large as to affect your standard of living. But that is not always how consumers behave.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Foreign Policy, Government, and Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- America
47. Protecting the American Homeland: One Year On
- Publication Date:
- 03-2003
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, a good deal has been done to improve the safety of Americans, not only in the offensive war on terror abroad but in protecting the homeland as well. Now aware of the harm terrorists can inflict, Americans are on alert, providing a first, crucial line of defense. Air travel is much safer. Intelligence sharing has improved, especially information about specific individuals suspected of ties to terrorism. Measures have been taken to ensure that suspicious ships entering U.S. waters are screened more frequently. Some early steps, with more to follow, have been taken to reduce the country's exposure to biological attacks, and oversight has been tightened on labs working with biological materials. Terrorism insurance is now backstopped by a new federal program. Certain types of major infrastructure, such as well-known bridges and tunnels and nuclear reactors, are protected by police and National Guard forces when terrorism alerts suggest that such measures are necessary.
- Topic:
- Security and Terrorism
- Political Geography:
- United States, America, and Arabia
48. To Give or Not to Give: The Crisis of Confidence in Charities
- Author:
- Paul C. Light
- Publication Date:
- 12-2003
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Public confidence is essential to America's 1.5 million charitable organizations and the 11 million Americans they employ. Confidence clearly affects the public's willingness to donate time and money, shapes the political and regulatory environment that governs charitable organizations, and has at least some influence on morale within the charitable workforce.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Foreign Policy, Government, and Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- America
49. The Business of Congress After September 11: A Look Back and at What's Ahead for 2002
- Author:
- Sarah Binder and Bill Frenzel
- Publication Date:
- 02-2002
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- The terrorist attacks on September 11, which caused plane crashes in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C., resulted in thousands of deaths, billions of dollars in damage, and an American public that was stunned by the events it had watched unfold on television. In addition to the heavy emotional toll, federal, state, and local governments scrambled to address new policy problems, including massive clean-up efforts, compensation for victims, and homeland security.
- Topic:
- Security, Defense Policy, and Terrorism
- Political Geography:
- United States, China, New York, America, Washington, and Pennsylvania
50. Kashmir: Redefining the U.S. Role
- Author:
- Navnita Chadha Behera
- Publication Date:
- 10-2002
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- India and Pakistan have fought three wars against each other since 1947, the first two of which were over Kashmir. In the past fifteen years, the two countries have been embroiled in four military crises, which the United States has played an increasingly assertive role in managing and resolving. A chief component of recent American administrations' foreign policy goals in South Asia, including the current Bush administration, has been to avert the fourth war in the subcontinent. However, attitudes in India and Pakistan are changing, and the internal situation in Kashmir is more fluid than it has been for years. After September 11, America has been able to maintain close ties to both countries. Washington should move beyond managing the crisis and help develop a road to peace in the region.
- Topic:
- Security and Foreign Policy
- Political Geography:
- Pakistan, United States, America, South Asia, Washington, India, and Kashmir
51. Avoiding a Cyprus Crisis
- Author:
- Philip H. Gordon and Henri Barkey
- Publication Date:
- 06-2002
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- The resumption of negotiations between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders has led to renewed hopes that the divided island of Cyprus can be reunified ahead of its likely invitation to join the European Union (EU) in December 2002. In fact, however, there is no guarantee that the renewed talks will produce a deal. Americans and other interested observers should support the process and encourage the leaders to compromise. But they should also be prepared for a scenario in which the parties cannot overcome their differences and the EU extends an invitation to join that would only apply to the Greek portion of the island.
- Topic:
- Economics
- Political Geography:
- America, Europe, and Island
52. Putin's Agenda, America's Choice: Russia's Search for Strategic Stability
- Author:
- Carol Graham
- Publication Date:
- 04-2002
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- In May, President George W. Bush travels to Moscow and St. Petersburg for his fourth summit meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the past year, Putin has made a number of compromises with America on key questions such as the United States' withdrawal from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty and the presence of U.S. troops in Central Asia. As a result, American commentators have speculated about how many concessions Putin needs from the United States to placate his domestic critics and maintain the positive momentum of U.S.-Russia relations.
- Topic:
- Human Welfare, International Organization, and Poverty
- Political Geography:
- Russia, United States, America, Central Asia, and Moscow
53. Should the War on Terrorism Target Iraq?
- Author:
- Michael E O'Hanlon and Philip H Gordon
- Publication Date:
- 01-2002
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- As Afghan opposition groups and U.S. armed forces continue their successes in the war against the Taliban and al Qaeda, the American debate has quickly turned to the question of where the fight against terrorism should go next. In numerous public statements, President Bush has talked about a wide-ranging campaign against global terrorism. He has not committed to military operations against any other countries or terrorist organizations, but he has made it clear that the broader struggle against terrorism will be a long-lasting effort that could include the use of military force in regions beyond Afghanistan.
- Topic:
- Security and Terrorism
- Political Geography:
- Afghanistan, United States, Iraq, America, Middle East, and Taliban
54. Nasty, Brutish and Long: America's War on Terrorism
- Author:
- Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay
- Publication Date:
- 12-2001
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- The post–cold war era ended abruptly on the morning of September 11, 2001. From the moment terrorists turned jetliners into weapons of mass destruction, the United States was inescapably engaged in a new “war” against global terrorism. The Bush administration now intends to make that war the central organizing principle of America's foreign and defense policies.
- Topic:
- Security, Defense Policy, and Terrorism
- Political Geography:
- United States and America
55. Globalization in the Aftermath: Target, Casualty, Callous Bystander?
- Author:
- Lael Brainard
- Publication Date:
- 11-2001
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- No sooner had Americans digested the horror of September 11 than voices on both sides of the debate began making the connection to globalization. Advocates argued that the attacks were directed at globalization, or, if not the target, globalization was the chief casualty. Others bemoaned an even more troubling possibility: globalization would callously continue its crusade unmoved by the events of September 11.
- Topic:
- Security, Defense Policy, and Terrorism
- Political Geography:
- United States and America
56. Beyond Missile Defense
- Author:
- Michael O'Hanlon
- Publication Date:
- 08-2001
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- President Bush is correct in his assertion that the United States and its allies should eventually be prepared to defend themselves against long-range ballistic missile attack. He has also been wise to declare the current Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty inappropriate for the modern era, and to leave no doubt in the minds of allies, neutrals, or enemies that his administration intends to move beyond the treaty and build a missile defense system when prudent and possible. However, there are dangers in the Bush administration's apparent approach to protecting the American homeland. The plan—though not yet complete—may focus somewhat myopically on the ballistic missile threat, while largely ignoring other, equally imminent dangers.
- Topic:
- Terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction
- Political Geography:
- United States and America
57. America and Iran: From Containment to Coexistence
- Author:
- Suzanne Maloney
- Publication Date:
- 08-2001
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- The enduring estrangement between the United States and Iran represents the central paradox for American policy in the Persian Gulf. The world has changed dramatically since the 1979 Islamic Revolution gave rise to a religious government in Tehran and ruptured U.S.-Iranian relations. Those changes have been felt even within Iran's revolutionary politics, through the ascendance of a popular reform movement crystallized by moderate president Mohammad Khatami's 1997 election. This development prompted an abatement in comprehensive U.S. sanctions and fueled expectations of rapprochement.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Terrorism, and Weapons of Mass Destruction
- Political Geography:
- United States, America, Iran, and Middle East
58. Moving Forward in South Asia
- Author:
- Stephen P Cohen
- Publication Date:
- 05-2001
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- The key to an effective American policy in South Asia is the deepening of Washington's engagement with India and Pakistan. India is an emerging major power and Pakistan, despite its internal economic and political problems, is also a significant state. Besides reengaging these states in strategic terms, Washington should overhaul current regional sanctions policy, seeking in return Indian and Pakistani compliance with missile and nuclear proliferation regimes, and should assist them in reducing the risk of accidental nuclear detonation and missile launches.
- Topic:
- Security and Foreign Policy
- Political Geography:
- Pakistan, United States, America, South Asia, Washington, and India