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The A. Alfred Taubman Forum on Public Policy
 

Charter schools, introduced to the U.S. in the 1980s, were conceived as laboratories of experimentation in instruction, integration, and school leadership. Over time, they have become an increasingly popular alternative to traditional public schools. As of this year, charters account for approximately six percent of all public school students, and President Obama’s proposed budget includes $375 million for charter schools—a 48 percent increase from the previous year. What does the future hold for this model in American schooling? What are charter schools doing well and where do they need to do better?

On April 26, Governance Studies at Brookings hosted a forum to examine charter schools in America. This event, the seventh in the A. Alfred Taubman Forum on Public Policy series, convened leaders from various perspectives to explore the role, effectiveness, and future of charter schools in the U.S. education system.

Join the conversation on Twitter at #CharterSchools and @BrookingsGov

Video

• Past, present, and future of charter schools
• The research evidence on charter school effects, academic and otherwise
• The role of charters in public education and communities

Audio

• Examining charter schools in America

Transcript

• Transcript (.pdf)

Event Materials

• 20160426_charter_schools_transcript

      

 

 

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The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), most commonly known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), is one of the most important pieces of legislation enacted into law and implemented by the federal government in a generation. The ACA is also one of the most complex and comprehensive efforts to reform the American health care system and reduce costs. Now that the ACA is five years old, how successful has the law been in meeting its primary goals? What has been its efficacy in transforming American health care? What have been the major outcomes and unintended consequences? And what might the future hold for this law, given today’s political environment and a pending, major U.S. Supreme Court decision that could determine the ACA’s fate?

On April 14, Governance Studies at Brookings hosted a forum to examine the ACA five years after its passage. This forum was the sixth annual A. Alfred Taubman Forum on Public Policy, which convenes leaders from academia, the media, and government to explore the far-reaching implications of the ACA. Discussion focused on the law’s successes and failures as the most consequential piece of health care legislation in recent history.

Join the conversation on Twitter at #ACAat5 and @BrookingsGov

Video

• A new way of covering the uninsured – how the ACA has changed American health care & the reverberations to come
• Examining the ACA’s implementation, successes, and failures and efforts to modernize health care delivery
• Has the ACA succeeded in bending the health care cost curve?

Audio

• Assessing the Affordable Care Act’s efficacy, implementation, and policy implications five years later

Transcript

• Uncorrected Transcript (.pdf)

Event Materials

• 20150414_aca_transcript

      

 

 

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Space exploration has long captivated the public‘s imagination and been a symbol of American inventiveness and desire for discovery. But recently NASA has seen a steady decline in its federal funding for  space exploration and program advancement. In the wake of these budget cuts, the private sector is seeking to fill that void by developing independently funded vessels for space travel, exploration, and study. How will the addition of commercial space travel and privately funded space exploration affect the future of the U.S. space program?

On May 14, Governance Studies at Brookings hosted an event to discuss the future of the U.S. space program. The fifth annual A. Alfred Taubman Forum on Public Policy convened several panels of experts to discuss topics such as the economic benefits of private industry’s involvement, the scientific discoveries resulting from NASA’s continued space efforts and the potential for future exploration, and the government’s policies and decision making process. 

Join the conversation on Twitter at #ExploreSpace.

Video

• No Longer Your Grandfather's U.S. Space Program
• The Commercial Space Economy
• Mars Exploration Teaches Us about How Life Started on Earth
• NASA Is Doing Government Contracting in a Different Way
• U.S. Space Program Has Economic and Quality of Life Benefits
• Preparing for Impact Craters on Earth
• The Future of the U.S. Space Program

Audio

• The Future of the U.S. Space Program

Transcript

• Uncorrected Transcript (.pdf)

Event Materials

• 20140514_space_program_transcript

      

 

 

• May 14, 2014, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM EDT

      

 

 

Nadine Barlow, Northern Arizona University: We have discovered the new formation of impact craters on Mars and the moon at a relatively rapid rate. It's giving us a much better understanding of what is the impact hazard to Earth.

      

 

 

Antonio Elias, Orbital Sciences Corporation: There's a tremendous lack of understanding, in general, about benefits of space to society.

      

 

 

Adam Harris, SpaceX: SpaceX has been a part of NASA's Commercial Resupply Services program and we think it has worked very well.

      

 

 

Michael Meyer, NASA: A revitalized Mars program started a program of exploration in which we approached the planet as a planet. You can't understand life unless you understand the environment in which you are looking.

      

 

 

John Roth, Sierra Nevada Corporation: There's a huge thrust of new economic activity going on in space. The economy is moving toward commercial companies getting involved in space.

      

 

 

Darrell West: Despite the many contributions of the U.S. space program, there are a number of questions as we move forward into the future. What role should private companies play? What should the relationship between them and NASA be?

     

 

 

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• Politics, Higher Education and Health Care in the Austerity Era

     

 

 

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The United States faces many challenges in terms of health care quality, affordability and access. The nation spends almost twice the percentage of its gross domestic product as many European countries on health care, but has outcomes that rank well below those of other developed nations. However, policy ideas and new technologies are emerging to improve innovation, data sharing, and analytics, thereby boosting cost containment and health care delivery and quality.

On May 9, the Governance Studies program at Brookings hosted a half-day conference focused on government reforms and technology-related solutions aimed at improving the U.S health care system. The third annual A. Alfred Taubman Forum on Public Policy convened leaders from academia, business and government to discuss concrete policy actions to improve performance in this policy area and specific actions to modernize the U.S. health care system for the 21st century.

Audio

• Bringing Health Care into the 21st Century

     

 

 

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Federal government performance is at a crisis point. According to a recent CNN/Opinion Research national survey, 86 percent of Americans believe the federal government is broken. Voters view government agencies as inefficient and wasteful, trust in government is at an all-time low and most Americans do not view elected officials as effective problem-solvers.

On March 22, the Brookings Institution hosted a half-day conference on improving government performance, efficiency and effectiveness. The second annual A. Alfred Taubman Forum convened leaders from government, academia, and administrative agencies to discuss concrete policy actions to improve federal government performance and to overcome obstacles that hinder good governance. Questions to be explored included: How can we reform our political institutions? How can we improve federal agency performance? Where will we get our future federal workforce and what is the role of technology in making agencies more transparent and efficient?

To discuss these challenges were Jeffrey Zients, chief performance officer and deputy director, White House Office of Management and Budget; Joseph Goldman, interim executive director, Campaign for Stronger Democracy; and Shelley Metzenbaum, associate director for performance and management, White House Office of Management and Budget.

Following each panel, the participants took questions from the audience.

Video

• Government Was Last Re-Organized 60 Years Ago
• Improving Services
• Competitiveness Is Job Number One
• Progress Thus Far

Transcript

• Uncorrected Transcript - Keynote (.pdf)
• Uncorrected Transcript -- Panel 1 (.pdf)
• Uncorrected Transcript -- Panel 2 (.pdf)
• Uncorrected Transcript -- Improving Performance (.pdf)
• Download Shelley H. Metzenbaum's Presentation (.pdf)

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• 20110322_intro_and_keynote_transcript
• 20110322_panel_one_transcript
• 20110322_panel_two_transcript
• 20110322_metzenbaum_transcript
• 0322_government_performance_metzenbaum

     

 

 

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Over the past 50 years, the United States has led the world in science and technology innovation. Yet now there are troubling signs of a downward trend in American innovation. Last year, for example, was the first time that non-U.S. innovators filed more patents than Americans; the United States is also falling behind other countries in the percentage of gross domestic product spent on national research and development.

On June 8, the Brookings Institution hosted a forum on improving U.S. science and technology innovation and investment. The inaugural A. Alfred Taubman Forum convened leaders from government, higher education, and business to discuss policy actions that will improve the climate for science and technology in the United States.

Brookings Managing Director Bill Antholis welcomed participants to the forum, which included Aneesh Chopra, U.S. Chief Technology Officer; Vivek Kundra, Federal Chief Information Officer; Phil Weiser, Senior Advisor to the National Economic Council Director for Technology and Innovation; and Richard Howard, Deputy Chief Technologist of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.), chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology, offered a congressional perspective at lunch.

After each panel, participants took audience questions.

Video

• Technology Gains in Healthcare
• Empowering Through Technology
• National Broadband Strategy
• 08 science technology gordon

Audio

• Improving Science and Technology Innovation in the United States
• Improving Science and Technology Innovation in the United States
• Improving Science and Technology Innovation in the United States
• Improving Science and Technology Innovation in the United States

Transcript

• Full Uncorrected Transcript (.pdf)
• Welcome and Introductory Remarks / A New Vision for Technology Innovation - Uncorrected Transcript (.pdf)
• The Role of Higher Education / Issues in Innovation - Uncorrected Transcript (.pdf)
• A Congressional Perspective from The Honorable Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.) - Uncorrected Transcript (.pdf)
• Download Aneesh Chopra's, Vivek Kundra's, and Phil Weiser's PowerPoint Presentation (.pdf)
• Download Dr. Eva Feldman's PowerPoint Presentation (.pdf)
• Download Richard Howard's PowerPoint Presentation (.pdf)

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• 20100608_science_technology
• 20100608_science_technology_intro_panel1
• 20100608_science_technology_panel2_panel3
• 20100608_science_technology_gordon
• 0608_science_technology_eop
• 0608_science_technology_feldman
• 0608_science_technology_howard