New America Policy Papers: 2012

Papers and other formal publications from our policy programs are available below. To jump to another year in the archives, please use the links at right.

PATCON

  • By J.M. Berger
May 21, 2012

Since September 11, 2001, more than 300 U.S. residents have been prosecuted for crimes related to homegrown terrorism. About half were targeted by law enforcement using infiltration techniques – confidential informants, undercover operations, or, in some cases, both.[i]

Programs:

Russian Roulette

  • By
  • Brian Fishman,
  • New America Foundation
May 18, 2012

The strategic partnership agreement between the United States and Afghanistan that was signed by Presidents Barack Obama and Hamid Karzai on May 1, 2012 did not address several critical questions, the most important of which is whether, and to what degree, the international community will continue to fund the Afghan government after 2014. Addressing the Afghan government’s budget needs is to be a major focus of the upcoming Chicago summit.

Programs:

Universities as Hubs for Next-Generation Networks

  • By
  • Benjamin Lennett,
  • Sarah Morris,
  • Greta Byrum,
  • New America Foundation
April 23, 2012

Based on a request for information (RFI) submitted to The University Community Next Generation Innovation Project (Gig.U), the paper describes a model for universities to develop next generation  broadband infrastructure in their communities. In our view universities can play a critical role in spurring next generation networks into their communities through use of their physical infrastructure to extend high-speed Internet access and sharing their expertise and resources to support engagement and participation by community members, businesses, and institutions. 

Programs:

Value Added: America's Manufacturing Future

  • By
  • Michael Lind,
  • Joshua Freedman,
  • New America Foundation
April 18, 2012

Manufacturing matters. That is the rapidly emerging consensus in the United States, after a generation in which leading policymakers, economists and journalists dismissed the importance of the U.S.

Programs:

The Assets Report 2012

  • By
  • Reid Cramer,
  • Rachel Black,
  • Justin King,
  • New America Foundation
April 11, 2012

While the recovery from the Great Recession appears be taking hold, economic hardship remains pervasive. Poverty is still on the rise and many families feel that the forces of recession have displaced them from the middle class. As the Presidential election year unfolds, these cyclical and entrenched threats to financial security provide a backdrop to public debates. Expanding opportunities for upward mobility has become a common call.

Programs:

Starting Early With English Language Learners

  • By
  • Maggie Severns,
  • New America Foundation
April 11, 2012

English Language Learners are a large and growing population in America’s public school system, but schools often fall short in preparing these students for success in college and the workforce. A new policy paper from the Early Education Initiative of the New America Foundation focuses on one state, Illinois, that is taking a different approach: building English Language Learner services that begin as early as pre-K to ensure that all students, regardless of their age, are supported in school.

Programs:

Between a Mountain of Debt and a Fiscal Cliff: Finding a Smart Path Forward

March 29, 2012

At the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013, many major fiscal events are set to occur all at once. They include the expiration of the 2001/03/10 tax cuts, the winding down of certain jobs provisions, the activation of the $1.2 trillion across-the-board “sequester,” an immediate and steep reduction in Medicare physician payments, the end of current AMT patches, and the need to once again raise the country’s debt ceiling.

Programs:

America’s Pent-Up Demand

  • By
  • Patrick C. Doherty,
  • New America Foundation
March 26, 2012

Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke is looking hard for demand. Without a “more-rapid expansion of production and demand from producers and consumers,” the Fed chairman does not see the recent employment gains as “sustainable.” That’s an understatement.

Programs:

"We Don't Do Banks"

  • By
  • Rourke OBrien,
  • New America Foundation
March 15, 2012

When asked whether he or anyone in his household has a bank account, Billy, a 24-year-old out-of-work father of two young daughters quickly retorted, “We don’t do banks.” A recent survey by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) reveals that Billy is not alone—more than 9 million American households are unbanked, meaning they have no checking or savings account.

Programs:

CBO's Projections Show Need for Smart, "Go Big" Approach: Comparing Major Debt Reduction Plans

March 13, 2012

Today, CBO released its latest budget projections for the next ten years, again showing the appearance of a declining debt trajectory. These projections based on current law, however, do not incorporate the costs of current policies that lawmakers have extended many times in the past and are likely to do so again, such as the annual “patch” of the Alternative Minimum Tax.

Programs:
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