Economic Growth: The Latest From New America

The Energy Security for American Families Initiative

adminn — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:11:00 -0400

Financing the Productive Economy: The Heartland Development Bank

Economic Growth — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 01:24:00 -0400

Infrastructure and Economic Opportunity

Throughout American history, infrastructure investment has played a critical role in economic development. As the nation moved west, the building of canals and turnpikes, followed by construction of railroads, expanded the field of economic opportunity. Later, investment in electricity and telephone networks facilitated the development of vast expanses of the American landscape that had previously been left behind. More recently, the national interstate highway system and now the continuing build-out of broadband telecommunications networks have enabled the de-clustering of many business endeavors that were once confined to large central cities.

Infrastructure is one of the basic building blocks of economic opportunity, as illustrated in Figure 1. The standard… more

Promises, Promises: A Fiscal Voter Guide to the 2008 Election

Fiscal Policy — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 01:37:00 -0400

The United States faces serious fiscal challenges. Large budget deficits have returned, and shifting demographics along with growing health care costs are putting intense pressure on the long-term federal budget outlook. Over time, sustained deficits will weaken the economy and adversely affect the American standard of living.

The two major political parties' presidential candidates are campaigning on a lengthy list of policy initiatives, most of which would have significant impact on the federal budget. While not all of these proposals will become law, they do reflect the candidates' values and priorities, and the policies each candidate is likely to pursue once… more

An Economic Recovery Program for the Post-Bubble Economy

adminn — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 20:23:00 -0400

Redressing America's Public Infrastructure Deficit

Economic Growth — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 07:49:00 -0400

Chairman, Oberstar, Representative Mica, and Members of the Committee, thank you for inviting me to testify today on the question of "financing infrastructure investments."

Over the past several decades, we have accumulated a sizeable public infrastructure deficit. As a result, a variety of infrastructure bottlenecks-traffic congested roads, clogged ports, and an antiquated air traffic system, to mention just a few-have begun to undercut our economy's efficiency and undermine our quality of life.

One of the reasons for this infrastructure deficit is that our system for financing infrastructure has become increasingly inadequate with the passage of time and has not kept up with the practices of… more

Sovereign Wealth Funds: Foreign Policy Consequences In an Era Of New Money

Ron Tang — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 03:44:00 -0400

Over the past several months, few issues in international finance have generated as much discussion and comment as have Sovereign Wealth Funds (“SWF”s). This Committee deserves enormous credit for recognizing the potentially significant foreign policy consequences of the rapid accumulation by foreign governments of enormous, growing pools of capital. These large concentrations of government controlled wealth raise complex issues that transcend traditional boundaries between foreign policy, financial markets, international economics and national security.

It is my belief, however, that too much focus on SWFs may, in fact, divert attention from the more fundamental foreign policy issue that these funds have come… more

Smart Globalization Policy Agenda

Economic Growth — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:35:00 -0400

The policy ideas that would make up the Initiative's competitiveness and growth strategy would fall under two main pillars of the Initiative. As noted earlier, the first pillar would consist of an international strategy to balance and respond to the economically dysfunctional practices of other economics and to create a supportive global economic environment for strengthening America's productive economy. The second pillar would entail policies to enhance America's competitiveness and promote domestic economic development through policies geared towards the maintenance and generation of higher-value added jobs.

1. An International Strategy to Counter the Mercantilist Practices of Other Economies and to Create A Supportive Global Economic Environment

Many of America's main… more

Public Comments on the Proposed Regulations On Foreign Investment Into the U.S.

Ron Tang — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 03:38:00 -0400

The Honorable Nova Daly Deputy Assistant Secretary U.S. Department of the Treasury

Dear Mr. Daly:

We are pleased to submit these comments with respect to the recently proposed regulations regarding the implementation of the Foreign Investment and National Security Act of 2007 (“FINSA”) amendments to Section 721 of the Defense Production Act of 1950 (“Exon-Florio”).

Background

As a general matter, we believe that U.S. and global economic health are strengthened by the free flow of investment capital and by the increased liquidity that open markets provide. As significant providers of capital, foreign investors have thus far been a positive influence on U.S. markets and… more

Financing America’s Infrastructure

Ron Tang — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 23:41:00 -0400

America’s basic infrastructure is outdated, worn, and in some cases, failing. Most experts agree that it is inadequate for meeting the demands of the 21st-century global economy. If we are to remain competitive, we must invest in capital assets like roads, ports, bridges, mass transit, water systems, and broadband infrastructure. Many other countries -- both rich and poor -- see investing in infrastructure as imperative for economic survival and success in an increasingly competitive economic environment. But the United States has lagged in infrastructure investment, in both relative and absolute terms. We are spending less than 2 percent of GDP… more

How Much Does the Federal Government Spend To Promote Economic Mobility, And For Whom?

Fiscal Policy — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:30:00 -0400

In an economically mobile market economy, individuals and families are able to raise their private incomes, wealth, and ability (sometimes referred to as human capital) over time and across generations. In the United States, many associate economic mobility with the pursuit of the American Dream. Education, work experience, and saving enhance the opportunity for upward economic mobility. To this end, many federal spending and tax expenditure or tax subsidy programs aim to enhance economic mobility. But exactly how much does the federal government encourage economic mobility? What form does this encouragement take? And who benefits from these efforts?

To begin answering these… more

Taking Back Our Fiscal Future

Fiscal Policy — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 01:57:00 -0400

The authors of this paper are longtime federal budget and policy experts who have been drawn together by a deep concern about the nation’s long-term fiscal outlook. Our group covers the ideological spectrum. We are affiliated with a diverse set of organizations. We have been meeting informally for over a year, under the auspices of The Brookings Institution and The Heritage Foundation, to define the dimensions and consequences of the looming federal budget problem, examine alternative solutions, and reach agreement on what should be done. Despite our diverse philosophies and political leanings, we have found solid common ground. We… more

Rethinking Social Insurance

Fiscal Policy — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The single greatest threat to the fiscal health of the United States is the runaway growth of the nation’s major retirement and health care entitlement programs. Social Security and Medicare are projected to grow from 7.5 percent of GDP today to almost 13 percent of GDP by 2030. Already, the two programs consume over a third of the federal budget. The total present value of costs that will exceed earmarked revenues of Social Security and Medicare over the next 75 years is $41 trillion, or, as the Government Accountability Office points out, a debt burden of $135,000 for every man, woman, and child in America. If… more

Do Sovereign Wealth Funds Make the U.S. Economy Stronger or Pose National Security Risks?

Economic Growth — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:00:00 -0500

By way of introduction, I spent most of the last seventeen years working as an investment banker and private equity investor based primarily in London, England. This experience, I believe, gives me a somewhat different perspective on Sovereign Wealth Funds and the role that they play in today’s international capital markets. Currently, I co-direct the Global Strategic Finance Initiative at the New America Foundation. The New America Foundation is a non-profit, post-partisan public policy institute in Washington D.C.

Over the past several months, few issues in international finance have generated as much discussion and comment as have Sovereign Wealth Funds. I commend you and your colleagues for the informed and balanced views… more

As the Stimulus Negotiations Continue...

Fiscal Policy — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:10:00 -0500

While we believe that fiscal stimulus done right would be likely to help the economy, we also believe that a good stimulus package is hard to come by. We have expressed concern that fiscal stimulus might come too late to help the stalling economy and that a package might be loaded up with costly and unrelated items.

Initially, we were gratified as negotiations between the White House and the House of Representatives led to what we found to be a well-crafted, reasonable package including temporary targeted rebates and an expanded business deduction. However, we are concerned that as the process… more

Fiscal Stimulus: Do It Right or Don't Do It At All

Fiscal Policy — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 15:42:00 -0500

Congress appears poised to move forward with a fiscal stimulus package. In theory, a mixture of monetary and fiscal policy is generally most appropriate to help a slowing economy; in practice however, fiscal policy becomes politicized so easily that it is often ineffective, and is sometimes even counterproductive. Too often in the past, stimulus bills have been poorly timed, poorly targeted, and larded up with unrelated items. If Congress moves forward with a stimulus package, the Committee for Responsible Federal Budget believes that stimulus should be...

For the full text of this CRFB statement, please see the PDF attached below.

Back to Basics: A Pro-Growth Public Investment Strategy

Economic Growth — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:32:00 -0500

For more than a decade, rising asset prices have driven the economy, benefiting the wealthy but doing relatively little to improve either the economic status of the majority of Americans or the country’s overall competitiveness. Rising stock and housing prices created staggering short-term increases in wealth for some, but did little to bolster the nation’s preeminence in technology, industry, or agriculture.

In order to retool the economy and generate balanced, robust job growth, the government should focus on rebuilding and enhancing the nation’s energy, transportation, and communications infrastructure. Judicious investment in renewing and creating critical public goods… more

The Macroeconomic Considerations of a Public Investment Strategy

Economic Growth — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 18:26:00 -0500

When you arrive at Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport, now about a decade old, you find yourself at the terminus of the world’s fastest train, a magnetic levitation marvel designed in Germany that takes you downtown at speeds briefly touching 450 kilometers an hour. There is little vibration, not much noise. Only a monitor in the car and the landscape rushing past your window lets you know just how fast you are moving.

Similarly, at the Amsterdam, Paris, or Zurich international airports escalators just beyond customs take you directly to the train station where you can board the sleek Très… more

Foreign Investment and Sovereign Wealth Funds

Economic Growth — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 11:02:00 -0400

The amount of money now held by governments around the world both in reserves and through sovereign wealth funds (“SWFs”) represents the largest concentration of investment capital the world has ever known. Their sheer size and expected rate of growth raise important issues regarding both the origin of this wealth and how it is to be invested. The origin of these funds rests on two main factors: the global imbalances between debtor nations (like the U.S.) and surplus nations (like China), and the rise of state-owned commodity (oil) funds. As for their uses, these countries have built up sums… more

No Worker Left Behind

Workforce and Family — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 07:00:00 -0400

Why aren’t Republican presidential candidates talking more about job training?

Wherever they go on the campaign trail, candidates are asked about off-shoring, layoffs, and wages. Despite the strong U.S. economy and near full employment, middle class anxiety is real.

Hardly a day goes by that some Democratic candidate doesn’t speak about the struggles of the middle class family in the age of globalization.Democrats campaigned last November on responding to working family angst through a minimum wage increase. Republicans often respond that they would help at-risk workers through job skills, yet they lack specifics.

If they believe skills are the answer, it’s… more

A Capital Budget for Public Investment

adminn — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 01:05:00 -0500

Click here for a brief video discussion of this idea.

The federal budget needs to prioritize spending that will make our economy more productive in the future. Yet, over the last several decades, the portion of the federal budget going to current consumption has increased, while that devoted to public investment has declined. As a result, the federal government does not adequately fund either the physical infrastructure or knowledge capital upon which a more productive economy rests. We are underinvesting not only in traditional… more