Op-Eds
Benn Steil explains in his column for Dow Jones' Financial News why the latest craze in monetary policymaking—targeting nominal output—has no staying power.
See more in Economics, Capital Markets, Geoeconomics, International Finance
Peter Orszag examines how cities could foster more public-private partnerships in infrastructure construction with revenue-based auctions.
See more in Economics, Geoeconomics, Infrastructure
Michael Spence outlines the conflicting objectives that President Obama and the U.S. Congress must reconcile as they negotiate a new federal budget.
See more in Economics, Capital Markets, Geoeconomics, Infrastructure, International Finance, Labor, Congress, Presidency
Peter Orszag argues that switching to the chained consumer price index for calculating Social Security cost-of-living adjustments will not make as much of a difference as many seem to think.
See more in Economics, Geoeconomics, Society and Culture, U.S. Strategy and Politics, Congress, Organization of Government, Presidency
Peter Orszag writes that the link between life expectancy and college completion is not well understood, but they appear to be related to growing income inequality.
See more in Economics, Labor, Health, Science, and Technology, Education, Health
Peter Orszag argues that low interest rates and high unemployment make today an ideal time to repair deteriorating U.S. infrastructure.
See more in Economics, Financial Crises, Geoeconomics, Infrastructure
Peter Orszag writes that, although health care costs have been rising more slowly, recent data suggest Medicare spending growth may have sped up slightly in the past few months.
See more in Geoeconomics, Health
Michael Spence examines what options the Italian government has for restoring economic growth as eurozone efforts at stabilization the banking sector and sovereign-debt markets founder.
See more in Germany, Italy, EU, Economic Development, Financial Crises, Geoeconomics, International Finance
Peter Orszag highlights research findings that reinforce the usefulness of test scores in evaluating teacher performance.
See more in Economics, Children, Education
Benn Steil's op-ed on Bloomberg Echoes describes the drama surrounding the collapse of dollar-starved Britain's empire in the wake of WWII.
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Peter Orszag argues that widening gaps in college completion rates between rich and poor students not only undermines the American ideal of equal opportunity, but also misses an economic opportunity to boost productivity.
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Peter Orszag argues that reforming medical malpractice law to include "safe harbors" that protect doctors who follow evidence-based medical guidelines could bring down health-care costs without reducing the quality of care.
See more in Economics, Health, Science, and Technology, Health
Benn Steil's Wall Street Journal op-ed explains the unique historical circumstances in which the Bretton Woods international monetary system emerged in 1944, and why calls for "a new Bretton Woods" today will go unsatisfied.
See more in United States, China, Japan, South Korea, Emerging Markets, Geoeconomics, International Finance
Jagdish Bhagwati contends that proposals for immigration reform centered on guestworker programs will be unsuccessful in stemming the inflow of undocumented workers.
See more in Mexico, United States, Geoeconomics, Labor
Michael Spence argues that effective management of the assets side of national balance sheets is critical for promoting market efficiency, innovation, and resiliency.
See more in Economic Development, Financial Crises, Geoeconomics, Infrastructure, International Finance
Peter Orszag argues that simplifying access to financial aid can help more Americans earn college degrees, reduce inequality, and boost economic growth.
See more in Economic Development, Labor, Education
Peter Orszag finds good news about health care costs in the latest budgetary and economic projections released by the CBO, but he cautions that the outlook for unemployment and federal spending is still gloomy.
See more in Financial Crises, Geoeconomics
Benn Steil's Wall Street Journal Europe op-ed, co-authored with Dinah Walker, argues that the Bank of England is getting "Libored"—that is, misled and manipulated—by the banks benefiting from its Funding for Lending Scheme. The Fed, which has shown interest in the scheme, should beware.
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Because a financial crisis can inflict lasting damage to productivity growth, Peter Orszag argues that the failure of U.S. policymakers to enact a "barbell" fiscal policy now could yield more economic troubles down the road.
See more in United States, Financial Crises, Geoeconomics, International Finance, Labor
Benn Steil's column in Dow Jones' Financial News, co-authored with Dinah Walker, shows why last March's Greek debt restructuring left Greece in poor shape to avoid financial collapse
See more in Greece, Financial Crises, Geoeconomics, International Finance