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281. The Political Economy of Nuclear Energy in the United States

Author:
Pietro S. Nivola
Publication Date:
09-2004
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
The Brookings Institution
Abstract:
A tendency among commentators, even experts like Bernard L. Cohen, the author of the sentence above, is to regard the complicated story of nuclear energy in the United States as exceptionally troubled and frustrating. The root cause of the troubles and frustrations, moreover, is commonly thought to be more political than economic. The promise of nuclear power in the United States is said to have been dimmed primarily by an eccentrically risk-averse public and an unusually hostile regulatory climate. Practically nowhere else, it is said, have political and legal institutions been so uncooperative. Supposedly the central governments of most other advanced countries have lent far more support to their nuclear industries. And because those governments are assumed to be more aggressive in combating pollution, including greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels, surely “the rest of the world” has been doing much more than America to level the playing field for the development of nuclear energy. But just how valid is this conventional picture?
Topic:
Nuclear Weapons and Politics
Political Geography:
United States

282. Law of the Sea Convention: Should the U.S. Join?

Author:
David B. Sandalow
Publication Date:
08-2004
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
The Brookings Institution
Abstract:
The United States has vital interests in the oceans. U.S. national security depends on naval mobility. U.S. prosperity depends on underwater energy resources. Ocean fisheries help feed the United States and much of the world. On February 25, 2004, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee unanimously recommended that the United States accede to the Law of the Sea Convention, which sets forth a comprehensive framework of rules for governing the oceans. The recommendation followed two hearings in which the committee heard testimony supporting the Convention from the Bush administration, the armed services, ocean industries, and environmental groups, among others. Following the favorable report from Foreign Relations, other congressional committees held hearings at which several lawmakers raised concerns about the treaty. The United States should promptly join the Law of the Sea Convention. Doing so would help protect U.S. national security, advance U.S. economic interests, and protect the marine environment. Prompt action is needed to ensure that the United States is a party by November 2004, when the Convention is open to amendment for the first time.
Topic:
Economics and International Law
Political Geography:
United States

283. Offshoring, Import Competition, and the Jobless Recovery

Author:
Charles L. Schultze
Publication Date:
08-2004
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
The Brookings Institution
Abstract:
Until the end of 2003, the United States had been experiencing a “jobless” recovery, with employment stagnating at levels well below those in 2000. A widespread perception has arisen that a major culprit behind the dearth of jobs was the growing practice of U.S. firms to relocate part of their domestic operations to lower-wage countries abroad. “Offshoring” presumably caused a reduction in U.S. output and a corresponding loss of jobs.
Topic:
Economics, Government, and Human Welfare
Political Geography:
United States

284. Improving the Saver's Credit

Author:
William G. Gale and Peter R. Orszag
Publication Date:
07-2004
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
The Brookings Institution
Abstract:
For decades, the U.S. private pension system has provided preferential tax treatment to employer-provided pensions, 401(k) plans, and individual retirement accounts relative to other forms of saving. The effectiveness of this system of subsidies is controversial. Despite the accumulation of vast amounts of wealth in pension accounts, concerns persist about the ability of the pension system to raise private and national saving, and in particular to improve saving outcomes among those households most in danger of inadequately preparing for retirement.
Topic:
Economics, Government, and Human Welfare
Political Geography:
United States

285. Bush and Kerry: Questions About Governing Styles

Author:
Charles O. Jones
Publication Date:
06-2004
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
The Brookings Institution
Abstract:
Political campaigns are about governing. Candidates offer themselves to the public and endure a grueling process of nomination and election. Campaigns generate a lot of headlines, but it's what comes afterward that counts. Voters usually are left guessing about how each of the candidates would govern. In 2000, the Brookings Institution, the American Enterprise Institute, and the Hoover Institution jointly conducted several forums with journalists and the presidential candidates' close associates that explored how each of the candidates would govern based on their backgrounds, experience, and leadership styles.
Topic:
International Relations, Foreign Policy, Government, and Political Economy
Political Geography:
America

286. Encouraging Job Advancement Among Low-Wage Workers: A New Approach

Author:
Harry J. Holzer
Publication Date:
05-2004
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
The Brookings Institution
Abstract:
While their employment rates have risen considerably, most former welfare recipients continue to earn very low wages. Similarly, the earnings of less-educated U.S. workers more broadly have also stagnated or fallen in recent years. Using a new dataset from the Census Bureau, some recent research suggests that low earners' advancement prospects are closely tied to the characteristics of the employers for whom they work. Employment in certain high-wage sectors and especially at firms that pay wage premiums and offer career ladders is strongly correlated with earnings gains over time for initially low earners. Job mobility often results in higher earnings gains than does staying in the same job. "Work first" approaches—such as immediate job placement for those on welfare—produce modest gains over time, while early work at a higher-wage employer or with a temp agency generates larger gains. Policymakers should therefore encourage better job placements for low earners as well as targeted training that is integrated with these placements. Policies to support the creation of more higher-wage jobs for the unskilled should be considered as well. Private labor market intermediaries can play important roles in both processes.
Topic:
International Relations, Foreign Policy, Government, and Political Economy
Political Geography:
United States

287. Trade Agreements and Labor Standards

Author:
Theodore H. Moran
Publication Date:
05-2004
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
The Brookings Institution
Abstract:
The National Academy of Sciences report, Monitoring International Labor Standards: Techniques and Sources of Information, shows that assessing compliance can be done thoroughly and transparently, allowing government officials, multilateral agencies, "socially responsible" investors, and nongovernmental organizations to identify where they differ on crucial aspects of the assessment process.
Topic:
International Relations, Foreign Policy, Government, and Political Economy

288. "Offshoring" Service Jobs: Bane or Boon and What to Do?

Author:
Lael Brainard and Robert E. Litan
Publication Date:
04-2004
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
The Brookings Institution
Abstract:
Americans worry the economy is permanently shedding jobs and compressing wages, not only in manufacturing but also now in services once assumed immune to foreign competition. The digitization of information and expanded bandwidth abroad are enabling companies to outsource to low-wage countries services ranging from routine call center work to higher-value software programming, medical diagnosis, and research and analytical activities.
Topic:
International Relations, Foreign Policy, Government, and Political Economy
Political Geography:
America

289. Global Economic Governance at a Crossroads: Replacing the G-7 with the G-20

Author:
Johannes F. Linn and Colin I. Jr. Bradford
Publication Date:
04-2004
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
The Brookings Institution
Abstract:
Finance ministers representing the Group of 7 (G-7) industrialized countries met in Boca Raton, Florida, in early February amid concerns about the weakening of the U.S. dollar. One factor in the dollar's decline is the U.S. trade deficit, which is partly due to the undervalued Chinese yuan. The involvement of China, which is not a G-7 member, illustrates both the glaring gap in global governance and the increasing economic and policy interdependence between industrial countries and major emerging market economies (EMEs). As one observer, referring to the Boca Raton meeting, put it, "China is the 800-pound gorilla and it isn't even part of the negotiations."
Topic:
International Relations, Foreign Policy, Government, and Political Economy
Political Geography:
United States and China

290. How to Balance the Budget

Author:
Isabel V. Sawhi and Alice M. Rivlin
Publication Date:
03-2004
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
The Brookings Institution
Abstract:
The federal government is spending about $500 billion a year more than it is raising in taxes. If nothing is done, that gap will widen to around $700 billion annually by 2014 and accelerate rapidly thereafter, as baby boomers begin to retire. Persistent deficits of this magnitude are likely to lower standards of living, make us dangerously dependent on the rest of the world, and pass on large fiscal burdens to future generations. Balancing the budget, while politically difficult, must be a priority. In an effort to stimulate debate over a compromise that would appeal to different groups, we present three ways to achieve balance over the next ten years. One option emphasizes spending cuts and leads to a smaller government. A second relies on tax increases and leads to bigger government. The third maintains government's current size, but makes it more effective, and contains a mix of spending reductions and tax increases, sufficient to achieve balance in ten years while preserving room for some high-priority new initiatives.
Topic:
International Relations, Foreign Policy, Government, and Political Economy