Upcoming New America Events

Should the U.S. Mandate Private Pension Saving?

Communications — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:00:00 -0400

A New America Event
07/09/2008 - 10:00am

A recent report on Australia's mandatory retirement system, known as superannuation, found that the average Australian will retire on a nest egg of more than $500,000-five times the nest egg of a typical 401(k) participant approaching retirement in the U.S. Most workers are required to save 9% of pay. Could adapting features of superannuation reverse America's retirement shortfall?

Mavis Robertson, one of the founders of the superannuation movement and Garry Weaven, one of the initiators of industry superannuation, will speak on how the system came into being and the challenges faced by its advocates.

Jane White, the president and founder of Retirement Solutions, LLC will speak on how adopting Australia's mandatory 9% employer contribution rate could boost our 401(k) account balances.

Pamela Perun will describe her proposal (with Gene Steuerle) for a "Super Simple" saving plan for the U.S. that is modeled on the new United Kingdom pension reforms that are similar to Australia's, but require both employers and employees to pay in.

Live from the Campaign Trail

Communications — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:15:00 -0400

A New America Event
07/09/2008 - 12:15pm

As the campaign season begins to heat up this summer, please join us for a lively discussion about the role of speechwriting and oratory on the campaign trail with three former speechwriters: New America Senior Research Fellow Michael A. Cohen, New America Fellow James Pinkerton (Campaign Officer for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush), and Greenberg, Quinlan, Rosner Executive Vice President Jeremy Rosner (Speechwriter for President Bill Clinton).

The panelists will be discussing a range of issues, from the history of campaign oratory to a closer look at the speeches and rhetoric of Barack Obama and John McCain as they battle it out on the campaign trail to be the next President of the United States.

The point of departure for our discussion will be Michael A. Cohen's new book, Live From the Campaign Trail: The Greatest Presidential Speeches of the Twentieth Century and How they Shaped Modern America.

Rethinking Nuclear Weapons

Communications — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:30:00 -0400

A New America Event
07/24/2008 - 2:30pm

The effectiveness of nuclear weapons has rarely been an issue. During the Cold War it was axiomatic that they were too risky to use even once. With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Bush Administration's search for new and expanded roles for nuclear weapons, the question of effectiveness is back on the table.

Hiroshima is at the heart of any debate about whether nuclear weapons translate into usable power. Scholar Ward Wilson argues unequivocally that bombing Hiroshima did not coerce the Japanese (the Soviet invasion was decisive) and further that nuclear weapons, in general, have few uses even if you have them and your opponent does not.