Brookings: Topics - Quality-of-Life Issues

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation's $22 Billion Deficit

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), which protects the pensions of 44 million workers, announced a $22 billion deficit for fiscal year ending September 2009. Douglas Elliott analyzes the three main reasons for the PBGC’s financial troubles, and cautions that there are serious structural problems within PBGC that cannot be blamed on the financial crisis.

The Hidden People of North Korea: Everyday Life in the Hermit Kingdom

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

November 10, 2009, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM

On November 10, Brookings Nonresident Senior Fellow Kongdan Oh and Ralph Hassig, adjunct associate professor of psychology at the University of Maryland University College, discussed their new book The Hidden People of North Korea: Everyday Life in the Hermit Kingdom (Rowman & Littlefield, 2009). For decades, the people of North Korea have lived in extreme isolation under a closed and repressive regime, where individual rights are restricted and the regime exercises complete control over the political class and legal systems.

Target Compliance: The Final Frontier of Policy Implementation

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Voters elect governments to solve social problems and governments design and implement an array of programs to ensure the public good. However, little theoretical attention has been devoted to the final step of the implementation chain: explanations of why the targets of public policies do or do not “comply” with those policies. Kent Weaver focuses on why program “targets” frequently fail to act in the way that program designers intended and wanted, even when it appears to be in their self-interest to do so.

Fighting Radicalism, not 'Terrorism': Root Causes of an International Actor Redefined

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In the years since the September 11th attacks, Western policymakers, analysts and academics have debated the best approaches to confronting and ending terrorism. Brookings Fellow Omer Taspinar argues that the global fight against extremist violence must move beyond the "war on terror" to a broader strategy of fighting radicalism with human development - an approach that would address the political, economic and social conditions that foment violent radicalism.

The "New Normal" For the U.S. Economy: What Will It Be?

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We are likely to enter a period of new normality marked by lower household debt, higher personal savings, and less consumption as a share of GDP, writes William Galston. Despite these positive trends, we still need a new era of public restraint, not just private thrift. Once economic growth has become self-sustaining and the private sector’s need for capital returns to more normal levels, Congress and the administration will have to turn their attention to the difficult fiscal questions they have long evaded.

The Sequence of Personal Responsibility

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Ron Haskins discusses personal responsibility and the three areas of personal decision-making in which the nation’s youth and young adults most need to learn and practice personal responsibility: education, sexual behavior and marriage, and work.

Health Care Reform: What Will It Take to Change Americans' Lifestyles?

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Proponents have high hopes for health care reform, but legislation is unlikely to alter personal behavior. What is needed today, writes Darrell West, is serious thinking about how to get Americans to lead healthier lifestyles. If we want health care reform to reduce costs and improve good health, we need a public education campaign emphasizing exercise, balanced diets and healthier living.

Complex Systems Modeling for Obesity Research

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Obesity has grown rapidly into a major public health challenge in the United States and worldwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that as many as one-third of Americans are obese. Ross Hammond explains how techniques from the field of complexity science can inform both scientific study of obesity and effective policies to combat it.

The Tripling of the PBGC’s Deficit: What Does it Tell Us?

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation’s deficit tripled over the last six months and could top out at more than $100 billion. According to Douglas Elliott, this accelerated loss is the result of a combination of factors, including the PBGC’s inability—thanks to Congress—to charge premium rates that would cover its risk, and the investment and funding choices made by the companies that sponsor the pension plans insured by the PBGC. Is another massive bailout in store?

What Happens to the GM Pensions in Bankruptcy?

Fri, 29 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

General Motors has filed for bankruptcy, and one of many questions is what will happen to its pension promises, which are underfunded by $20 billion. Douglas Elliott says GM is very likely to continue to shoulder the full obligations after restructuring, rather than passing them to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and taxpayers—for now.

A Guide to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

Wed, 20 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As Chrysler and GM face bankruptcy proceedings and restructuring, the Senate held a hearing on whether the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) has the capacity to insure the pensions of nearly 44 million Americans who work or have worked at those firms. Douglas Elliott explores the particulars of the PBGC, the precarious situation that the automotive industry finds itself in, and offers 14 possible solutions to the problems that plague the government’s pension program.

Federal Expenditures on Infants and Toddlers in 2007

Tue, 05 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Despite extensive research documenting the benefits of investing in young children, infants and toddlers are underrepresented in the federal budget, researchers from the Brookings and the Urban Institute found. The nation’s 12.5 million children under age 3 are 4.2 percent of the population, but they received just 2.1 percent—$44.1 billion—of federal domestic spending in 2007. Domestic outlays, which exclude defense, homeland security, and international affairs, totaled $2.1 trillion.

How to Improve Governance : A New Framework for Analysis and Action

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This perceptive book emphasizes the need for an overall analytical framework that can be applied to different countries to help analyze the current situation, identify potential areas for improvement, and assess their relative feasibility and the steps needed to promote them.

Michelle Obama’s Balancing Act

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Michelle Obama stepped into the policy spotlight as first lady on Thursday at President Barack Obama’s signing of the equal-pay bill. How might Mrs. Obama bring her voice to issues of work-life balance? Rebecca Blank comments on what issues Mrs. Obama should elevate.

Are the Media Making Us Feel Worse?

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Americans are bombarded by negative images of life nationally and around the world. But are things really as bad as they seem? Gregg Easterbrook argues that, "even if a recession has begun, occasional cycles of slow or no growth are the price we pay for the much longer cycles of boom" — and that we really are better off than what we're being told to believe.

MetroPolicy for a MetroNation

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

To unleash greater local and national prosperity, U.S. metropolitan leaders need to be better equipped to deal with today’s increasingly dynamic economic, social and environmental realities. This summary outlines a new federal-state-metro partnership that provides metropolitan actors the support, capacity, tools and discretion they need to resolve key challenges; grow in more productive, inclusive, and sustainable ways; and, ultimately, to maximize America’s overall prosperity.

Life Is Good, So Why Do We Feel So Bad?

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Most Americans perceive the nation in a pessimistic state. With the economy in turmoil, gas prices rising dramatically, and the housing market down, Americans are negatively viewing the current state of the nation. However, Gregg Easterbrook argues that we should feel good about our standing and that America is in a better state than before.

MetroPolicy: Shaping a New Federal Partnership for a Metropolitan Nation

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

To unleash greater local and national prosperity U.S. metropolitan leaders need to be better equipped to deal with today’s increasingly dynamic economic, social and environmental realities. This report calls for a new federal-state-metro partnership that provides metropolitan actors the support, capacity, tools and discretion they need to resolve key challenges; grow in more productive, inclusive, and sustainable ways; and, ultimately, to maximize America’s overall prosperity.

How Can We Restore Americans' Sense of Optimism?

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Some have suggested that optimism has faded because Americans have lost confidence in the country’s ability to steer the country in the right direction. Gregg Easterbrook joins a panel of experts on NewTalk to engage in a running discussion about restoring Americans' sense of optimism.

Q&A With Joshua Epstein on Computational Modeling

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

CSED Director and Economic Studies Senior Fellow Joshua Epstein explains his breakthrough computational modeling work, with a focus on how agent-based modeling can help explain human behavior as well as make strides in the public health field.

Public Oversight Roundtable on Eliminating Poverty Among District Residents

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

In testimony before the D.C. City Council Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs, Alice M. Rivlin presents recommendations for reducing poverty in the District. She gives examples of education and training programs that could be funded in the FY2009 budget and reviews longer-term workforce development strategies.

The Middle-Class Squeeze

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Brookings Expert Gregg Easterbrook and Harvard Law School's Elizabeth Warren discuss the squeeze on the American middle class.

Walkable Urbanism is Changing City Life

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Chris Leinberger discusses walkable urbanism, and how the desire for more walkable urban spaces is changing the housing market in America's cities as people seek alternatives to driving.

On the Right Track? Iran Edges toward Education Reform

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

With Iran's recent move to adopt into law the guidelines to eliminate the national university entrance examinations, Brookings Scholar Djavad Salehi-Isfahani discusses the importance of educational testing and the historical significance of this large exam.

Walkable Urbanism

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Chris Leinberger discusses his book about the most walkable urban and metro areas in the United States with Nicole Lapin from CNN.

Blueprint for American Prosperity: Unleashing the Potential of a Metropolitan Nation

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The Blueprint for American Prosperity is a multi-year initiative to promote an economic agenda for the nation that builds on the assets—and centrality—of America’s metropolitan areas. The Blueprint will put forth an integrated policy agenda and specific federal reforms that give cities, suburbs, and metro areas the tools they need to leverage their economic strengths, grow in environmentally sensitive ways, and create opportunities to build a strong and diverse middle class. The Blueprint is being supported and informed by a network of leaders who strive every day to create the kind of healthy and vibrant communities that form the foundation of the U.S. economy.

Youth Exclusion in Iran: The State of Education, Employment and Family Formation

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Iran’s large youth population has led to overcrowding in schools, gender imbalance in the marriage market and increased pressure on the nation’s rigid formal labor market. By focusing on three crucial transitions, Djavad Salehi-Isfahani and Daniel Egel analyze the challenges facing youth in Iran and opportunities for the country to tap into its demographic dividend.

The Wedding Shortage

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Marriage, long the centerpiece of Middle Eastern life, is in crisis. The reason: a new generation of young men cannot afford to marry--a fact that's destined to exacerbate many of the region's social and political problems.

Doing It Right: The Future of Humanitarian Intervention

Fri, 01 Sep 2000 00:00:00 GMT

The Paradox of Infrastructure Investment: Can a Productive Good Reduce Productivity?

Thu, 01 Jun 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Brookings Review article by Andrew F. Haughwout (Summer 2000)

Reviving The Roost: The Return Of The Empty Nesters To The City

Mon, 28 Sep 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Speech by Wellington Webb, Mayor City of Denver, at the 1998 James Rouse Forum