Tuesday January 6, 2009

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PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION


Reuters/Suhaib Salem - Smoke rises over the main Hamas security complex following an Israel air strike in Gaza.

Save to My Portfolio Memo to the President: Renew Diplomacy in the Middle East

Martin S. Indyk and Kenneth M. Pollack, January 05, 2009

The next president will face a Middle East in turmoil and an American public weary of engagement there. That challenge requires a return to diplomacy in order to begin the withdrawal from Iraq, cap Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and promote a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace. Read More

Middle East, Arab-Israeli Relations, Iran, Iraq, Foreign Policy

SPOTLIGHT: Cuba


Reuters/Enrique de la Osa - Women walk past a graffiti celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution in Havana December 30, 2008.

Save to My Portfolio Cuba at Fifty

Vicki Huddleston, December 31, 2008

January 1, 2009 marked the 50th anniversary of Fidel Castro's revolution and ascension to power in Cuba. Vicki Huddleston reviews the family feud across the Florida Straits and argues that a changed world offers opportunities to those Cuban Americans and Cubans bold enough to bury the past and build a future friendship among all Cubans and Americans. Read More

Cuba, Latin America

SPOTLIGHT: Energy Security


Reuters/Fred Prouser - Oil is pumped from the wells at Port of Long Beach in California.

Save to My Portfolio Rethinking “Energy Independence”

Pietro S. Nivola, December 29, 2008

Political leaders repeatedly point out that our current addiction to foreign oil is a matter of national security. In a Brookings paper, Pietro Nivola challenges the assumption that the less oil the U.S. buys from abroad, the more insulated our economy will be from vagaries of the international oil market. Read More

Energy Security, Climate and Energy Economics, U.S. Economic Growth, U.S. Economy

Upcoming Event

Save to My Portfolio Did the 110th Congress Mend the Broken Branch? What to Expect in the 111th Congress

Thursday, January 08, 2009
10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Washington, DC

When the 111th Congress convenes it will turn first to internal issues—including a disputed Illinois Senate seat and proposed rule changes in the House of Representatives. On Thursday, Sarah Binder and Thomas Mann, with AEI’s Norman Ornstein, will offer recommendations on how the new Congress may strengthen what they have called "the broken branch." They will also critique whether the Democratic-majority 110th Congress achieved their objectives in mending the institution. Read More

Research and Commentary

Save to My Portfolio The State of Iraq: An Update

Jason H. Campbell, Michael E. O'Hanlon, December 29, 2008

Michael O'Hanlon and Jason Campbell write that Iraq has settled into a kind of violent semi-peace but, for all the progress in Iraqi politics—including approving the status of forces agreement with the United States that takes effect on Jan. 1—there are still big challenges: agreements on oil sharing among all sectarian groups and provinces; determining Kirkuk's future status and other places contested by Kurds and Arabs; and the resettlement of four million people. Read More

Research and Commentary

Save to My Portfolio The Diversification Challenge in Africa's Resource-Rich Economies

John Page, December 2008

Africa’s resource boom offers the hope of economic growth to many countries on the continent but how can governments ensure that natural resources fuel long-term growth rather than become a curse? In a new working paper, John Page discusses how natural resource wealth can be an effective driver of growth for Africa. Read More

Research and Commentary

Save to My Portfolio "Stimulus" Doesn't Have to Mean Pork

Clifford Winston, December 28, 2008

In order for Barack Obama to truly stimulate the nation’s economy through infrastructure spending, Clifford Winston argues the president-elect needs to wring wasteful spending not just out of pork projects, but out of all of his transportation expenditures. Read More

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Join Brookings as we monitor the transition from President George W. Bush to President-elect Barack Obama through weekly memos, podcasts, live web chats, and more.

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Q&A with Gary Burtless

The Credit Crisis and the Auto Industry

Gary Burtless says the credit crisis has caused a serious domino effect: consumers can’t borrow to buy goods, companies can’t borrow to stay afloat, and jobs will be lost in the process.

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Spotlight

Research ProjectLatin America Initiative

The Latin America Initiative provides high-quality, in-depth, and independent research across a range of economic and political issues, and offers policy recommendations aimed at U.S. and Latin American policymakers.

ExpertJulia B. Isaacs

Julia Isaacs focuses on public investments in children and how children are affected by national budgetary policies. A former federal budget analyst, she also researches the economic mobility of children and families across the income spectrum.

Policy CenterEngelberg Center for Health Care Reform

The Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform provides practical solutions to achieve high-quality, innovative, affordable health care with particular emphasis on identifying opportunities on the national, state and local levels.

ExpertMauricio Cárdenas

Mauricio Cárdenas is a senior fellow and director of the Latin American Initiative. Formerly minister of Economic Development and Transportation, and director of National Planning of Colombia, his research focuses on international and development economics. He is also the president of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association (LACEA).

ExpertMartin S. Indyk

Ambassador to Israel and assistant secretary of state for near east affairs during the Clinton Administration, Martin Indyk directs the Saban Center for Middle East Policy. He currently focuses on the Clinton administration’s diplomacy and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

TopicEducation

The economic and political well-being of any democracy requires a well-educated citizenry. Brookings’s work has extended beyond the K-12 bookends to include pre-school interventions and issues in higher education. Experts are tackling fundamental issues on the role of education in the national and global economy.

ExpertSuzanne Maloney

Suzanne Maloney studies Iran, the political economy of the Persian Gulf and Middle East energy policy. A former U.S. State Department policy advisor, she has also counseled private companies on Middle East issues.

ExpertMark B. McClellan

A medical doctor and economist, Mark McClellan works on promoting high-quality, innovative and affordable health care. Once commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dr. McClellan now directs the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform.

ProgramGovernance Studies

Governance Studies explores political institutions of the United States and other democracies to assess how they govern, how their practices compare and how citizens and public servants can advance sound governance.

Research ProjectThe Hamilton Project

The Hamilton Project produces research and policy proposals on how to create a growing economy that benefits more Americans. Their agenda also focuses on enhancing individual economic security and effective public investments. 

ExpertSarah A. Binder

Sarah Binder is an expert on Congress and legislative politics.  She is completing a project on the politics of advice and consent, and is at work on the politics of how Congress responds to financial crises.

TOPICThe Presidential Transition

During the 77 days from the election to the Inauguration, Brookings experts will offer 12 "Memos to the President" on top policy priorities across the spectrum of domestic and global challenges, plus additional advice on transitioning from campaigning to governing.

ExpertEswar Prasad

Eswar Prasad, the Tolani Senior Professor of Trade Policy at Cornell University, is a senior fellow in Global Economy and Development. He was previously head of the Financial Studies Division and the China Division at the IMF.

ExpertHugh B. Price

Former president and chief executive officer of the National Urban League, Hugh Price is an expert on education, civil rights, equal opportunity and criminal justice. His 40-year career spans journalism, philanthropy, the law, and social advocacy.

ExpertDarrell M. West

Darrell M. West is the vice president and director of Governance Studies at Brookings. His studies include campaigns and elections, political advertising, mass media, public opinion, technology policy and electronic government.

ExpertAlice M. Rivlin

Alice Rivlin, the first director of the Congressional Budget Office, is an expert on urban issues as well as fiscal, monetary and social policy. She directs the Greater Washington Research project. 

ExpertRebecca Blank

Rebecca Blank is an expert on the interaction between the macroeconomy, government anti-poverty programs, and the behavior and well being of low-income families. She has just been named the Robert S. Kerr senior fellow at Brookings.