Publications -- Economy
Jun 21, 2002 |
BA #402 – How Big Is the Government's Debt?Reports about the enormous federal debt abound, as do dire predictions about the impact of that debt on future generations. But just how big is the debt? |
Apr 15, 2002 |
BA #394 – Analyzing the 2002 Social Security Trustees ReportIs Social Security in financial trouble? If you believe a press release issued by the Trustees of the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds, the answer is no. If you go to the fine print of their annual report, however, the answer is a resounding yes. |
Apr 15, 2002 |
BA #393 – 401(k) Reform: Doing It the Right Way401(k) retirement savings plans have been popular over the past three decades. However, the Enron debacle and the recent stock market slump are spurring Congress and the Bush administration to propose changes in the law. Wise reform could lead to higher returns and safer portfolios for the vast majority of workers. On the other hand, unwise reforms could induce employers to drop these plans altogether. |
Apr 12, 2002 |
BA #392 – The Wage Gap MythTuesday, April 16, 2002, is Equal Pay Day - the day on which many organizations protest wage discrimination between men and women. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income for all women is about three-quarters that of men, although the results vary significantly among demographic groups. Feminist organizations and some politicians point to these statistics as evidence of the United States as a patriarchal society that discriminates against women. But a closer examination leads to a different conclusion. |
Dec 31, 2001 |
ST #248 – Reinventing Retirement Income in AmericaTraditional defined benefit pension plans, which are managed by employers and which promise workers a specific monthly payment on retirement, are disappearing. Instead, more than 42 million workers now participate in defined contribution retirement plans, primarily 401(k) plans, which specify the annual contributions to an employee's pension fund. |
Dec 18, 2001 |
BA #385 – Social Security Reform: The NCPA's 'Hybrid' PlanPresident Bush's Commission to Strengthen Social Security moved the Social Security reform discussion forward. However, despite the commission's hard work, its findings are not the final word in the debate. As Congress takes up the discussion, it should consider the "hybrid" reform plan proposed by the National Center for Policy Analysis. The NCPA plan combines the most attractive features of major plans developed by both Republicans and Democrats over the past several years. It includes no benefit cuts for those who contribute to a personal retirement account (PRA) and no tax increases. |
Dec 18, 2001 |
BA #387 – Two Cheers for the Commission to Strengthen Social SecurityPresident Bush created the Commission to Strengthen Social Security in May 2001 to develop a plan to reform the nation's retirement system. The commission's final report to the White House includes three broad frameworks for reform and leaves it up to Congress and the administration to develop the details. |
Dec 10, 2001 |
BA #382 – Is the Stock Market Too Risky for Retirement?Now that President Bush's Commission to Strengthen Social Security is preparing its report for release later this year, the debate on the wisdom of investing in the stock market is again at center stage. As we choose which option, if any, will replace Social Security's present financing, the behavior of our stock market over the last three-quarters of a century clearly suggests that it should be one of the considered choices. |
Dec 04, 2001 |
BA #381 – Tax Relief For The Uninsured: Scholarship vs. Political HypePeople with employer-provided health insurance receive a substantial tax saving because this benefit is not taxed as income. On the other hand, people who buy their own insurance must do so with after-tax dollars. There are proposals in both the House and Senate to remedy this inequity through refundable tax credits for those who buy their own health insurance. |
Nov 15, 2001 |
BA #379 – Uninsured by ChoiceThe Census Bureau recently reported that the number of Americans without health insurance fell to around 38.7 million in 2000, down about 600,000 from 1999 and well below the record 44.3 million who were uninsured in 1998. However, with health care costs increasing and the economy slowing, many public health advocates are worried that this number might soon begin to rise. Why do more than 38 million Americans lack health insurance? Who are they? |
