Thursday November 27, 2008

Welcome   |   Register   |   Log in

PARTNERSHIP FOR THE AMERICAS


Ralph Alswang - Thomas Pickering (l) and Ernesto Zedillo speak at the Partnership for the Americas Commission's report release on November 24, 2008.

Pay Attention to Latin America

Ernesto Zedillo and Thomas Pickering, co-chairs of the Brookings Institution's Partnership for the Americas Commission, urge the incoming Obama administration and Members of Congress to pursue a "hemispheric partnership to address common challenges" with Latin America and the Caribbean. Latin America, they argue, with 600 million people and a $3.5 trillion economy, has a significant impact on the lives of Americans. Read More

SPOTLIGHT: Diplomacy


Reuters/Tobias Schwarz - President-elect Barack Obama makes a speech in front of the Victory Column in Berlin July 24, 2008.

Save to My Portfolio Voices of America: U.S. Public Diplomacy for the 21st Century

Kristin M. Lord, November 2008

Drawing on extensive research, approximately 300 interviews and the advice of a distinguished board of ten advisers, Kristin Lord presents a vision for U.S. public diplomacy in the twenty-first century. Lord provides a detailed blueprint for a new non-profit organization, the USA World Trust, as part of a comprehensive public diplomacy strategy. Read More

Diplomacy, International Relations, Foreign Policy, U.S. Department of State

THE PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION


Reuters/Tami Chappell - Three-year old Shirley Garcia-Zetina holds her mother's hand as they carry bags from the North Fulton Community Charities food bank in Alpharetta, Georgia.

Save to My Portfolio Memo to the President: Decrease Poverty and Increase Opportunity

Rebecca M. Blank, November 24, 2008

A major economic slowdown adds to the problems of lower-income Americans, who have not shared in the economic growth of the last decade. Greater investments in economic mobility and opportunity are needed. Rebecca Blank offers policy solutions and priorities for the president-elect to make greater investments in economic mobility and opportunity. Read More

U.S. Poverty, U.S. Economy, Economic Mobility

NEW REPORT

Save to My Portfolio Rethinking U.S.-Latin America Relations

November 24, 2008

With changing political leadership in Washington, the United States has a fresh opportunity to engage Latin American and Caribbean nations and begin to tackle a range of major hemispheric challenges. In a new report, the Partnership for the Americas Commission offers policy recommendations to the next U.S administration to meet five key challenges: climate change and energy, trade, migration, organized crime and U.S.-Cuba relations. Read More

Latin America, South America, Global Economics, Foreign Policy, Climate Change

PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION

Save to My Portfolio What Now? Your Congressional Relations Chief

Stephen Hess, November 21, 2008

President-elect Obama has chosen Phil Schiliro, a veteran of the Senate and House of Representatives, to be his liaison to Capitol Hill. Stephen Hess, author of What Do We Do Now?, says that Schiliro’s long congressional experience and low profile have been hallmarks of success for his predecessors. Read More

Research and Commentary

Save to My Portfolio Paths to Economic Recovery

William G. Gale, Bruce Katz, November 24, 2008

Congress has punted to next year the prospects for a stimulus package with an infrastructure investment that could provide more jobs, a stronger transportation network and a better-running economy. Bruce Katz and William Gale say the clock stopped on legislative action, but President-elect Obama is directing his team to come up with an economic recovery plan that addresses critical infrastructure issues while creating more jobs and stimulating the economy. Read More

Research and Commentary

Save to My Portfolio Origins of the Financial Crisis

Martin Neil Baily, Robert E. Litan, Matthew S. Johnson, November 2008

Martin Baily, Robert Litan and Matthew Johnson conduct a thorough analysis of the origins of the financial crisis. They conclude that the crisis originated in an asset price bubble that interacted with new kinds of financial innovations that masked risk, with companies that failed to follow their own risk management procedures, and with regulators and supervisors who failed to restrain excessive taking. Read More

Research and Commentary

Save to My Portfolio Managing Global Insecurity: A Plan for Action

Managing Global Insecurity, November 2008

Built for a different age and a different balance of world power, current international institutions do not fully meet today’s global security challenges, ranging from climate change to terrorism. In a new report, the Managing Global Insecurity Project calls for responsible sovereignty and offers a comprehensive framework for addressing the world’s most urgent trans-border challenges. Read More

How will you track the Presidential Transition?

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.

Advanced Search | Tips

My Portfolio

My New Content

View suggested content based on items you have saved to your Portfolio.
Log in or register now

Top Topics

View All Topics »

Transition Tracker

Decrease Poverty and Increase Opportunity

Senior fellow Rebecca Blank discusses what the new administration can do to combat poverty and increase opportunity for millions, and the man on the street reacts. Also, former presidential press secretary Ron Nessen interviews Stephen Hess on the qualities a new President needs in his congressional relations chief.

View Larger

Spotlight

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.

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.

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.

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).

ExpertCarlos Pascual

Carlos Pascual is a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. As vice president and director of Foreign Policy, he focuses on post-conflict stabilization and international security policy.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

ExpertDouglas W. Elmendorf

Doug Elmendorf, whose government posts have included the Federal Reserve, Treasury, Council of Economic Advisors, and CBO, focuses his research on macroeconomics and fiscal policy. He is co-editor of the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity and director of The Hamilton Project, which develops proposals for shared growth.

TopicMigration

Migration is an issue that bridges Brookings’s expertise in domestic and foreign policy. In the United States, reforming immigration policy remains a subject of intense political debate. Globally, the unprecedented movement of people across borders raises issues in both industrialized countries and the developing world.