New America Policy Papers

East Asia has been an area of growing importance in Washington's "war on terror," as evidenced by growing levels of U.S. security assistance and military collaboration with nations including the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand. Whether these increases in U.S. security assistance will have the desired effect without aggravating the region's existing conflicts remains to be seen.

Despite sharp increases in U.S. security assistance and arms transfers to Asia as part of the global campaign against terrorism, the Middle East remains the largest market for U.S. weaponry, with the bulk of it going to Washington’s two closest allies in the region, Iraq and Israel.

As the true central front in the war on Al Qaeda and related terrorist organizations, South Asia has been the subject of a massive increase in U.S. arms transfers and security assistance since 9/11, rivaled only by U.S. aid and sales to the Middle East. As the Obama administration makes its transition to power with a pledge to increase U.S. commitments of troops and assistance to this region, the difficulties of using arms to quell terrorist activities and fundamentalist insurgents… more

The Western Hemisphere has received less attention and far fewer security assistance resources from Washington since 9/11 than major "fronts" such as the Middle East and South Asia. The one major exception to this pattern is Colombia.

This table is part of the larger "U.S. Weapons at War 2008" report. For the full document, please click here.

As the saying goes: Reports of the death of municipal wireless are greatly exaggerated. Most mainstream media simply got it wrong. Most municipal wireless networks across the United States didn't take a tumble over the past year. Rather, in high-profile cities where deals fell apart - including Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco and Houston - what failed were exclusive commercial franchise forays.  Local governments were not going to finance, own or operate their respective networks. These weren't municipal networks at all.

Executive Summary

Americans instinctively revere the family as an institution that helps facilitate all other aspects of life. The family fosters attachments across generations, provides a nurturing environment in which to raise children, and is a means of transmitting values from one generation to the next. It is the foundation upon which our social contract has been built.

America’s communications infrastructure is stuck at a copper wall. For the vast majority of homes, copper wires remain the principal means of getting broadband services. The deployment of fiber optic connections to the home would enable exponentially faster connections, and few dispute that upgrading to more robust infrastructure is essential to America’s economic growth. However, the costs of such an upgrade are daunting for private sector firms and even for governments. These facts add up to a public… more

California is a state of many distinct regions. To give citizens a voice on regional issues and to reinvigorate California's Legislature, the state's central institution of self-government, we propose Personalized Full Representation for the 21st Century (PFR21), a system of representation by means of regionally based legislative elections that will allow the state'scitizens to set the agenda for their regions and for the state as a whole.

One of the most important lessons the subprime mortgage crisis holds for us is just how poorly informed many Americans are when it comes to making important financial decisions. Clearly, there is a need for basic financial education. But when, where, and how should such education be delivered? Financial literacy programs aimed at high school students do not appear to be effective, and few adults are willing to expend the time, money, and effort to acquire the sort of general education that would help them make good… more

Introduction The U.S. health care system is in crisis. Health care costs too much; we often get too little in exchange for our health care dollar; and tens of millions of Americans are uninsured.

Introduction

The fiscal year 2009 deficit could reach over one trillion dollars, according to an analysis by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB). This deficit would be more than twice as large as the 2008 deficit of $455 billion and would represent a post-war record both in nominal terms and as a share of GDP.

"These numbers are simply astonishing," said Maya MacGuineas, president of CRFB. "Of course we can't try to balance the budget right now when the economy is in such turmoil, but… more

In light of the current state of the economy, it appears likely that Congress will pass another stimulus package...

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget recognizes that there is a strong enough risk of a prolonged recession that a fiscal stimulus package may well make sense. Given the many risks associated with a significant downturn, it makes sense to err on the side of caution in determining whether more stimulus is appropriate. Assuming Congress proceeds with plans to offer some type of stimulus package, CRFB offers three… more

While the U.S. military has long relied on private contractors, the outsourcing of key national security functions has increased dramatically over the past five and a half years. From intelligence gathering and logistical support to personal security services, training, and operational support tasks, the efforts of contractors are now integral to the success of America's security and stabilization missions around the world. Since the beginning of the Iraq War, one dollar out of every five has been spent on private contractors. By most estimates, there are more private… more

One of the most pressing issues facing policymakers in the United State is rising health care costs. Cost growth is putting ongoing stress on the budgets of families, employers, and governments. The U.S. already spends $2.2 trillion a year - 16 percent of GDP - for health care. Nearly a third of this comes from the federal government.

Health expenditures are projected to nearly double to $4.3 trillion in a decade, at which point they will represent nearly one-fifth of the economy. According to the… more

The next president will have to address fiscal imbalances within the government and a dramatically rising federal debt. National debt has been on a more or less steady rise since 1974 when, after a steady decline from the massive debt accumulated during WWII, it hit a low of 33.6 percent of GDP. Total national debt was more than $10 trillion at the start of fiscal year 2009.

This rising debt is driven by entitlement growth, resulting from demographic… more

Social Security is the single largest government program. In 2007, the program cost $585 billion and provided benefits for roughly 50 million retirees, dependents, survivors, and disabled workers. It is financed primarily through the payroll tax -- a 12.4 percent tax on wages up to $102,000. The tax is split equally between employees and employers. The remaining revenues come mainly from the taxation of Social Security benefits for wealthier recipients.

Next year, the program’s surpluses will begin to decline precipitously. The… more

In an October 2007 letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), executives from the four largest TV networks told the Commission that proposals to allow low-power Wi-Fi type devices to operate on vacant TV channels, “could cause permanent damage to over-the-air digital television reception." Such a dire warning would ring alarm bells for policymakers, if not for the fact that similar nightmare scenarios have been predicted before.

Executive SummaryComprehensive strategies for educating children and youth so they can become effective managers of money and successful navigators of a complex financial marketplace have not yet emerged from the dialogue and debate surrounding financial education. A rich and growing body of research about adult financial education exists, but youth financial education research has been slower in developing. While some consensus has emerged regarding best practices for adult financial education, these strategies and approaches cannot simply be reengineered down to more age-appropriate versions and imposed on… more