In a contribution to the New York Times Freakonomics blog, Donald Marron identifies this year's biggest tax policy mistake: Washington's inability to decide what this year's tax law is. While politicians, analysts and the media endlessly debate how expiring tax cuts might affect taxpayers in...
As the US housing market experiences its largest contraction since the Great Depression, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center took a closer look at the consequences of this crisis for state and local governments in a May 2010 conference.This article...
We present new estimates of the budget outlook, based on the latest projections from the Congressional Budget Office and the Medicare and Social Security Trustee reports. The medium-term budget outlook has not changed appreciably since earlier this year. Under reasonable assumptions, the federal...
The U.S. government is spending more than it is bringing in. The result is the budget deficit. Over the next 10 years, the deficit is projected to exceed $10 trillion if current budget policies are continued. By 2019, even under optimistic assumptions, the deficit will be 5.5 percent of GDP, an...
In a point-counterpoint with Henry Aaron, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, Eugene Steuerle discusses five pressing fiscal problems facing America, and suggests tax and budget reform options to address these issues. This discourse includes agreement and disagreement, yet is honestly...
Eugene Steuerles response Henry Aaron in a point-counterpoint debate about Americas fiscal struggles. This discourse includes agreement and disagreement, yet is honestly presented without the noise and confusion that often surround these issues. Steuerles and Aarons essays and responses to each...
Continuation of current U.S. fiscal policy will lead to an enormous accumulation of debt with potentially disastrous economic consequences. Exacerbated by the recent economic turmoil and fueled by the willingness of creditors to lend at very low interest rates, there is signifi cant risk that...
In commentary for the San Francisco Chronicle, Gene Steuerle asserts that all of the following myths about Social Security retirement ages are wrong: (1) increasing the retirement age will reduce benefits; (2) increasing the retirement age discriminates against lower-income workers with shorter...
As the economy begins to recover from the Great Recession, policymakers must confront the next fiscal challenge: the long-run federal deficit. The first opportunity to do so is the impending expiration of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts: full extension of all of the cuts would increase the deficit by...
The Biggest Tax Policy Mistake of the Year
In a contribution to the New York Times Freakonomics blog, Donald Marron identifies this year's biggest tax policy mistake: Washington's inability to decide what this year's tax law is. While politicians, analysts and the media endlessly debate how expiring tax cuts might affect taxpayers in...
What the Housing Crisis Means for State and Local Governments
As the US housing market experiences its largest contraction since the Great Depression, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center took a closer look at the consequences of this crisis for state and local governments in a May 2010 conference.This article...
The Bush Tax Cuts: The Least Effective Stimulus
In a New York Times op-ed, Bill Gale explains why extending the Bush tax cuts would provide little economic stimulus and would be bad fiscal policy.
The Federal Budget Outlook, Chapter 11
We present new estimates of the budget outlook, based on the latest projections from the Congressional Budget Office and the Medicare and Social Security Trustee reports. The medium-term budget outlook has not changed appreciably since earlier this year. Under reasonable assumptions, the federal...
Basic Facts on the Deficit
The U.S. government is spending more than it is bringing in. The result is the budget deficit. Over the next 10 years, the deficit is projected to exceed $10 trillion if current budget policies are continued. By 2019, even under optimistic assumptions, the deficit will be 5.5 percent of GDP, an...
America's Related Fiscal Problems
In a point-counterpoint with Henry Aaron, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, Eugene Steuerle discusses five pressing fiscal problems facing America, and suggests tax and budget reform options to address these issues. This discourse includes agreement and disagreement, yet is honestly...
Why We Must Untie Our Fiscal Straightjacket: A Response to Henry J. Aaron
Eugene Steuerles response Henry Aaron in a point-counterpoint debate about Americas fiscal struggles. This discourse includes agreement and disagreement, yet is honestly presented without the noise and confusion that often surround these issues. Steuerles and Aarons essays and responses to each...
Catastrophic Budget Failure
Continuation of current U.S. fiscal policy will lead to an enormous accumulation of debt with potentially disastrous economic consequences. Exacerbated by the recent economic turmoil and fueled by the willingness of creditors to lend at very low interest rates, there is signifi cant risk that...
Lowering the Heat Around Raising Retirement Age
In commentary for the San Francisco Chronicle, Gene Steuerle asserts that all of the following myths about Social Security retirement ages are wrong: (1) increasing the retirement age will reduce benefits; (2) increasing the retirement age discriminates against lower-income workers with shorter...
The Debate over Expiring Tax Cuts: What about the Deficit?
As the economy begins to recover from the Great Recession, policymakers must confront the next fiscal challenge: the long-run federal deficit. The first opportunity to do so is the impending expiration of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts: full extension of all of the cuts would increase the deficit by...