New America Policy Papers: 2006

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.

Budget Update -- And So Budget Season Begins

  • By
  • Maya MacGuineas,
  • New America Foundation
March 14, 2006

The President’s budget projects a decline in the deficit from $423 billion in FY
2005 (3.2% of GDP) to $205 billion in FY 2011 (1.2% of GDP). The President has
proposed further savings in mandatory spending this year—a positive step.
However, the proposed savings in mandatory spending programs and the cuts in
non-defense discretionary spending programs would be more than offset by the tax
cuts and other increases in spending. Though the deficit is projected to decrease
under the proposed budget in the short-term, the President’s policies would actually

Programs:

Reforming 529 College Savings Plans to Better Reach Low-Income Families

  • By Margaret Clancy, Project Director, Center for Social Development
March 1, 2006
Qualified Tuition Plans, commonly called “529 plans” after the applicable section of the federal tax code, were implemented in their present form in 2001. These state-sponsored plans can help families save for their children’s college education, or an adult can open an account to use for their own post-secondary expenses. Under current law, earnings and qualified withdrawals are exempt from federal income tax liability.
Programs:

President Bush's FY2007 Budget

  • By
  • David Gray,
  • New America Foundation
March 1, 2006

In early February, the President released his $2.8 trillion budget for FY2007. By and large, the budget did not focus on addressing the needs of families. Many of the proposed budget cuts and 141 program eliminations were in social, educational and health programs that benefit families. However, the President’s emphasis on research and development, investment in science and math education, and energy independence, were bold and welcome ideas.

Programs:

Myth vs. Fact: The Rhetoric and Reality of Progress in Allocating More Spectrum for Unlicensed Use

  • By
  • J.H. Snider,
  • New America Foundation
February 22, 2006

In November 2002, the FCC’s Spectrum Policy Task Force released a report calling for shifting large amounts of spectrum from the current command and control allocation system to both unlicensed and licensed flexible-use service. Since then, the FCC has started numerous proceedings to follow through on these recommendations. But whereas the proceedings granting flexible use to incumbent license holders and others have been fast tracked and completed, the proceedings seeking to allocate more unlicensed spectrum have, with only one notable exception, been sidetracked.

Programs:

Reclaiming the Vast Wasteland: The Economic Case

  • By
  • J.H. Snider,
  • New America Foundation
February 21, 2006

On May 12, 2004, the FCC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposing unlicensed use of unused TV channels 2-to-51 (Docket 04-186). When the DTV transition ends in early 2009, most of the nation’s 210 TV markets will have between 10 and 40 unassigned channels reserved for broadcasting, but not in use. The FCC proposal would allow a new generation of wireless broadband devices to utilize the vacant TV channels in each local market for WiFi and other unlicensed technologies.

Programs:

The Assets Report 2006

  • By
  • Ray Boshara,
  • Reid Cramer,
  • New America Foundation
February 15, 2006

The second year of the Bush Administration’s second term is underway and the prospect of a large breakthrough for asset building policy appears remote at this time. The President’s second Inaugural Address, which highlighted the transformative potential of “ownership” and an “ownership society,” has given way to the political realities of budget deficits, international commitments, and uncertain electoral prospects.

Programs:

Economic Growth Finally Having its Effect on Family Wages

  • By
  • David Gray,
  • New America Foundation
February 13, 2006

This week, the White House submitted its annual Economic Report of the President to Congress. It was a positive forecast driven by continuing strong consumer spending, business investment and export growth. Despite high energy prices and Hurricane Katrina, the White House had a lot of good news to trumpet on the economy from four years of largely uninterrupted economic growth.

For the complete document, please see the attached PDF version. 

Programs:

Refund Splitting

  • By
  • Anne Stuhldreher,
  • New America Foundation
February 1, 2006

To encourage savings, California state income tax forms should be amended to allow households to split their tax refund and direct portions to up to three accounts. The income tax forms would need to be changed to include three "boxes," where tax filers could input account numbers to which they could direct parts of their refunds. Currently, there is only one "box," on the form, allowing tax filers to direct their refund to only one account. New research indicates this simple change can increase personal savings, even for low income people.

Programs:

Ladders of Learning

  • By Kristie Kauerz, Doctoral Candidate in Early Childhood Education Policy, Columbia University
January 20, 2006

It’s a good news, bad news situation. The good news is an increasing body of evidence shows that children’s participation in high quality pre-kindergarten (PK) programs helps them begin kindergarten ready to succeed. Similarly, there is growing evidence that children who start kindergarten behind but participate in a full-day kindergarten (FDK) program catch up to their peers by the end one academic year. The bad news is these effects often appear to “fade out” over time.

Programs:

Measuring TV 'White Space' Available for Unlicensed Wireless Broadband

  • By
  • Michael Calabrese,
  • New America Foundation
  • and Ben Scott, Policy Director, Free Press
January 5, 2006
The full version of this document (69 pp.), as well as a summary (2 pp.), are available in the attached PDF documents below.
Programs:
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