Urban Institute: Governing

Urban Institute Launches Infrastructure Initiative Led by Transportation Scholar Sandra Rosenbloom

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

A multidimensional research initiative spanning America's fragile infrastructure systems debuts today at the Urban Institute with transportation planning expert Sandra Rosenbloom as its director.

Controlling the Deficit: The Debate Continues

paffairs@urban.org ( John L. Palmer, Rudolph G. Penner ) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

The report discusses the important budget events of 2011. It begins with the House Republican budget and the president's response. The very different approaches to health and discretionary spending and tax policy are analyzed in detail. The policy debate continued into the confused debt limit negotiations of July. The Budget Control Act finally emerged. It capped discretionary spending and created a "super committee" that was to propose additional deficit reductions. The committee failed miserably. An automatic across-the-board spending cut is supposed to result from that failure. The report describes its effects on defense and nondefense spending.

National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program Evaluation: Final Report Rounds 1 and 2

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

The National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling (NFMC) program is a special federal appropriation, administered by NeighborWorks America, designed to support a rapid expansion of foreclosure intervention counseling in response to the nationwide housing crisis. This report presents the final results of the Urban Institutes evaluation of the first two rounds of the NFMC program. Overall, the program is having its intended effect of helping troubled homeowners by improving the quality of mortgage modifications, increasing the frequency and sustainability of cures of delinquencies and foreclosures, and reducing the number of foreclosure completions for counseled homeowners.

Revitalizing Distressed Older Suburbs

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

While much has been written about the decline of central cities, very little research has examined the problem in their suburbs. This report focuses on the suburbs of older industrial cities and how best to address the challenges they face. Using census data, literature review, and four in-depth case studies, the authors provide a detailed portrait of the underlying forces shaping distressed suburbs. It highlights a range of best practices used in case study cities for fostering growth and reducing poverty. These lessons can be instructive both to local leaders working to turn their cities around and to the federal policy makers supporting them.

Social Impact Bonds: Key Implementation Issues

paffairs@urban.org ( P. Mitchell Downey, John Roman ) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

State and local governments often struggle to implement evidence-based programs because of high upfront costs, even when research shows these programs to be cost-effective in the long run. Social impact bonds (SIBs) are an innovative way of attracting private funding for program implementation by offering a financial return to investors. But can social impact bonds really be used in the US to increase evidence-based programming? In this presentation, we present some key ideas behind social impact bonds, discuss challenges in getting them off the ground, and show how ongoing Urban Institute work can be used to establish the SIB market.

Improving State TANF Performance Measures

paffairs@urban.org ( Heather Hahn, Pamela J. Loprest ) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

Performance measurement is a tool government can use to improve program performance and address accountability. The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, like many federal government programs, requires measurement of program performance to help ensure federal funds are being used to reach stated program goals. Some states have gone beyond federal requirements and added additional performance measures for their state TANF programs, making them useful laboratories for understanding the possibilities and challenges of broader and varied performance measurement in TANF. This study exploits this opportunity by gathering and synthesizing information from a set of states with more innovative performance measurement systems

An Assessment of Afghanistan's Municipal Governance Framework

paffairs@urban.org ( Jameson Boex, Grace Buencamino, Deborah Kimble ) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

One of the international community's overarching strategic objectives in Afghanistan is to promote a more capable public sector that serves the Afghan people. Afghanistan's Constitution and their Sub-National Governance Policy aim to establish a system of elected municipal governments and a framework that allows municipalities to effectively provide public services to their constituents. This will require a major transformation of municipalities from a weak public sector tier to a devoted local governance level. This paper reviews the current state of municipal governance in Afghanistan and discusses the re-orientation required in order for Afghanistan to achieve a more effective and responsive municipal sector.

Local Government Finances and the Status of Fiscal Decentralization in Macedonia: A Statistical Review, 2008-2011

paffairs@urban.org ( Anthony Levitas ) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

Decentralization in Macedonia was conceived of in two different phases, allowing for an asymmetric allocation of fiscal powers. During the first phase, all local governments were assigned the responsibility to deliver only a few mainly communal local government functions. After fulfillment of specific conditions and approval by the central government, local governments in Macedonia would be allowed to take on their broader functional responsibilities. Using a detailed dataset of local government finances, this study analyzes the evolution of local government revenues and expenditures in Macedonia and highlights the main problems of the country's intergovernmental finance system.

Tax Reform: Lessons From History

paffairs@urban.org ( C. Eugene Steuerle ) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST

This article was published as part of the Tax Note series "The Legacy of the TRA '86." As current budget pressure forces us to consider tax reform as a means of raising revenue, past reforms provide us some valuable lessons. Reforms typically begin with a consensus that something is broken and that while we disagree on the perfect solution, no one favors the unequal justice, inefficiency, or complexity in our tax code. It was that type of bipartisan agreement that led to past successful tax reforms, such as in 1986, 1969, and 1954. Similar ideas are relevant today.

Reprinted with permission from Tax Analysts

A Guide to Data-Driven Performance Reviews

paffairs@urban.org ( Harry P. Hatry, Elizabeth Davies ) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

This report examines federal agencies that are using data-driven performance reviews to improve agency effectiveness and efficiency. It draws from practices of agencies, including state and local governments. In their research, the authors identify three prerequisites to successful performance reviews: interested and engaged leadership; timely performance measures; staff that can analyze the measures before the performance review meetings.

Transportation and Price Leadership Role of the Postal Service

paffairs@urban.org ( Alan Robinson, Richard Waterman ) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

Four questions were addressed in this study: 1) Does the Postal Service offer greater access to parcel and express transportation, money orders, and post office boxes than the private sector? 2) Do Postal Service prices establish a competitive baseline for other delivery services, money orders, and mailbox box rentals? 3) Does the Postal Service offer competitive advantages to small and home-based business? 4) Does the Postal Service provide commercial customers with an economical means of shipping packages? The analysis shows that the Postal Service improves access in very rural areas.The Postal Service is generally not a price leader is and does not act like a competitive player in the market.

Measuring the Social Value of Postal Services: Progress Report and Results

paffairs@urban.org ( Nancy M. Pindus ) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

This slide presentation summarizes work undertaken for the Postal Regulatory Commission to examine various aspects of the social value of postal services to the nation: 1) the economic benefits of post offices; 2) the transportation and price leadership role of the Postal Service for parcels, expedited services, money orders, and post office boxes; and 3) community safety and public safety benefits from the presence of letter carriers and post offices. The first two studies were completed; the third was not completed due to budgetary cutbacks.

Studies of Social and Commercial Benefits of Postal Services: Economic Effects of Post Offices

paffairs@urban.org ( Christopher Hayes, Chris Narducci, Nancy M. Pindus ) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

Does the closing of a post office have negative effects on the economic indicators of the surrounding community?This study uses a difference-in-differences approach to assess the economic impact of a post office closure on a community. We compared employment and number of business establishments in communities with a post office to similar communities where a post office has been closed between 2002 and 2005.While the results do not provide conclusive evidence of economic impact, they do suggest a small, sometimes significant, negative impact on employment in the ZIP codes with post office closures.

Fiscal Rules for Restraining Federal Overspending : Before the Joint Economic Committee, United States Congress

paffairs@urban.org ( Robert D. Reischauer ) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EST

On July 27, 2011, Urban Institute President Robert Reischauer gave testimony to the Congressional Joint Economic Committee on how fiscal rules can restrain federal overspending.

Political Parties Take United Stand Against Their Own Principles

paffairs@urban.org ( C. Eugene Steuerle ) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EST

Most Americans sense the contradictions in Democrats and Republicansor at least understand that no coherent approach to principles, policy goals, or even processes for compromise guide today's political parties. Pollsters tell our elected officials what sound bites trigger our emotions, and that passes for policy.

Private Residential Governments Need More Oversight and Homeowners Need More Rights, Scholar Proposes in New Book

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Wed, 18 May 2011 00:00:00 EST

Beyond Privatopia: Rethinking Residential Private Government describes the rise of such community interest housing developments as homeowners and condominium associationshome to over 60 million people (or a fifth of the U.S. population). Political scientist, lawyer, and real estate expert Evan McKenzie evaluates the developments' philosophical and political underpinnings, explains how they converge with local governments, reviews recent state reforms, and proposes solutions to the problems created by private government's limits.

When Blame Isn't Enough: Troubled Child Welfare Systems

paffairs@urban.org ( Olivia Golden ) — Thu, 05 May 2011 00:00:00 EST

Sweeping policy changes and scapegoating caseworkers after high-profile cases of child abuse are not the best ways to enhance the safety of young people, says child welfare expert Olivia Golden. Taking lessons from the airline industry and elsewhere, Golden lays out why clear-headed, evidence-driven examination of the resources, conditions, and communication that guide workplace decisionmaking should be the center of attention.

Strategic Plan for a Collaborative Neighborhood-Based Crime Prevention Initiative

Mon, 02 May 2011 00:00:00 EST

A promising approach to reducing and preventing crime at the neighborhood level involves addressing both immediate and long-term risk factors for crime. This strategic plan outlines a collaborative Neighborhood-Based Crime Prevention Initiative (NCPI) that combines law enforcement-led crime suppression activities with human and social service efforts to address longer-term risk factors for crime. This plan focuses on the initiative's structure, and data and administrative requirements. Objectives, associated suppression and prevention activities, and performance measures are related to initiative goals and measurable crime outcomes. This sets the stage for an initiative that could be monitored and ultimately evaluated.

State Implementation of National Health Reform: Harnessing Federal Resources to Meet State Policy Goals

paffairs@urban.org ( Stan Dorn ) — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST

This report for the State Coverage Initiatives program of AcademyHealth explores how states could use resources provided by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to achieve five goals:

- Increasing coverage and access to care;
- Reforming health insurance to function more like a traditional market;
- Holding insurers accountable;
- Reforming health care delivery to slow cost growth and improve quality; and
- Reduce state budget deficits.

The paper, "State Implementation of National Health Reform: Harnessing Federal Resources to Meet State Policy Goals," concludes that federal legislation gives states powerful new tools for making progress towards longstanding policy objectives.

How to Evaluate Choice and Promise Neighborhoods

paffairs@urban.org ( Robin E. Smith ) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST

Living in concentrated poverty stifles the life chances of adults and children. Efforts to transform neighborhoods of extreme poverty into places of opportunity must grapple with concentrated disadvantages including distressed housing, failing schools, joblessness, poor health, and violence. Two federal initiatives seeking to address neighborhood deficiencies simultaneously are the Department of Education's Promise Neighborhoods effort and the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Choice Neighborhoods program. Evaluating these efforts presents many methodological challenges. This brief provides a framework for designing evaluations of Choice and Promise Neighborhoods including key research questions, different research approaches, and components of an evaluation strategy.

Nonprofit-Government Contracting in the Nation's Capital: Challenges and Opportunities

paffairs@urban.org ( Erwin de Leon ) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST

Findings from the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropys National Survey of Nonprofit-Government Contracting and Grants show that a majority of human service organizations in Washington, D.C. are struggling due in part to challenges posed by working with the government in providing programs and services to District residents. At a forum of nonprofit leaders and government representatives, participants confirmed the studys findings, shed light on issues unique to the city, and proposed initial recommendations to address some contracting challenges.

Health Care Brawl: All or Nothing Doesn't Work

paffairs@urban.org ( C. Eugene Steuerle ) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

The ongoing debate over health reform at times almost appears like a sporting event, with Democrats and Republicans trying to name winners and losers in passing or repealing legislation. But in my Fiscal Times op-ed this week, I explain why, when it comes to health reform, this winner-take-all mentality misses a major point: government programs, whether well designed or poorly designed, need to work within budget constraints. While such constraints inevitably identify losers relative to an open-ended budget (which, like deficits, can hide the losers), they do lead to far better budget and health policy.

The Budget Process: A Maze Perverted by Trickery

paffairs@urban.org ( Rudolph G. Penner ) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

The congressional budget process has been so perverted that it no longer imposes much discipline on fiscal decision-making, comments Rudolph Penner, a former director of the Congressional Budget Office. Penner explains how the situation arose and what to do about it.

The Sum of All We Are

paffairs@urban.org ( C. Eugene Steuerle ) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

What allows us to live and thrive in a good society? To grow and progress so much that we consider it a failure to have a few years of negative or low growth? To live in peace, at least within our borders? To enjoy almost endless possibility?

Preliminary Analysis of National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program Effects : September 2010 Update

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

The National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling (NFMC) program is a special federal appropriation, administered by NeighborWorks(R) America, to support a rapid expansion of foreclosure intervention counseling in response to the nationwide foreclosure crisis. This report updates preliminary analyses measuring the effect of the NFMC program on counseled homeowners. Overall, our analysis suggests that the program is having its intended effect of helping homeowners facing loss of their homes through foreclosure, specifically by increasing the likelihood of foreclosure cures, lowering borrowers monthly mortgage payments, and improving the sustainability of loan modifications that cure serious delinquencies and foreclosures.

Our Newly Elected Tax Collectors

paffairs@urban.org ( C. Eugene Steuerle ) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

Call it happenstance, but in the gospel proclaimed in many Christian churches on Sunday, October 24about a week before the electionJesus admonishes those "convinced of their own self-righteousness," then makes a tax collector the hero in the parable cited. Actually, tax collectors seem to come out okay in a lot of religious stories; take the Buddhist one about the brahmin Dhananjani, an unscrupulous tax collector who exploited both the king and the public, yet still could at death attain a happier rebirth. Not to downplay these religious themes, but I couldn't help seeing a secular twist: more than in any recent period, our newly elected representatives, many of whom ran on platforms of self-righteousness, are called to be our tax collectors.

Fixing the Nation's Four-Tranche Universal Health System : Next Steps for Both Republicans and Democrats

paffairs@urban.org ( C. Eugene Steuerle ) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EST

U.S. citizens soon will be participating in a four-part, nearly universal, health care system. Medicare, Medicaid, employer-provided health, and the new exchange insurance policies all come with different government subsidies. Medicare is tied to age or disability and provides roughly the same amount of insurance to all recipients. Medicaid (and a related children's health insurance program) also provides more or less equal coverage to all who get it, though it pays providers less for that coverage and, cliff-like, often cuts off beneficiaries who cross an earnings line. Subsidies for employer-provided health insurance are largest for those with the highest incomes and the most expensive policies. Meanwhile, the new exchanges created under health care reform would phase out subsidies for households as their income increased.

National Study of Nonprofit-Government Contracting: State Profiles

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EST

This compilation of state profiles from the 2010 National Survey of Nonprofit-Government Contracting and Grants, provides national and state-by-state snapshots of human service organizations that have contracts and grants with local, state and federal governments. The individual state profiles are designed to document the extent of nonprofit-government contracting, processes and problems. They also examine the impact of the recession on these organizations and the cutbacks they have made to keep their programs operating. States are also ranked according to number of grants, types of issues, and actions taken by human service nonprofits to address the challenges they face.

Human Service Nonprofits and Government Collaboration: Findings from the 2010 National Survey of Nonprofit Government Contracting and Grants

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EST

This report explores the results of the 2010 National Survey of Nonprofit-Government Contracting and Grants, a study of human service organizations designed to document the extent of nonprofit-government contracting, processes and problems. It also examines the impact of the recession on these organizations and the cutbacks they have made to keep their programs operating. While contracting problems are not new, many are exacerbated by the deep recession that has reduced government budgets and private contributions. Nearly 33,000 human service nonprofits have government contracts and grants, and 9,000 organizations with expenditures over 100,000 were surveyed for this study.

Contracts and Grants between Human Service Nonprofits and Governments

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EST

This brief summarizes results of the 2010 National Survey of Nonprofit-Government Contracting and Grants, a study of human service organizations designed to document the extent of nonprofit-government contracting, processes and problems. It also examines the impact of the recession on these organizations and the cutbacks they have made to keep their programs operating. While contracting problems are not new, many are exacerbated by the deep recession that has reduced government budgets and private contributions. Nearly 33,000 human service nonprofits have government contracts and grants, and 9,000 organizations with expenditures over 100,000 were surveyed for this study.

Hammered by the Recession, Most Human Service Nonprofits Say They're Having Major Problems with Government Contracts

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EST

Wracked by the anemic economy, human service nonprofits helping families and communities weather the recession report "serious and widespread" problems with their government contracts and grants, a new Urban Institute study concludes. These problems include government payments that do not cover the full cost of services, complex and time-consuming applications and reporting requirements, and governments changing the terms of existing agreements and paying contracts late.

D.C. Out-of-School Time Programs Tackle Outcome Measures

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EST

Funders and nonprofit leaders are increasingly looking for information that demonstrates the achievements of community-based programs. In this results-oriented environment, the Urban Institute, The Center for What Works, and the D.C. Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation worked together to create a pilot program that developed and tested a series of outcome measures for out-of-school time (OST) programs. This brief describes the process followed and the results achieved. The pilot demonstrated that OST providers are eager to learn how to better manage their programs, keep young people engaged, and demonstrate their accomplishments. The challenge is to expand this work to all OST programs in the District and beyond.

Why Housing Choice and Mobility Matter

paffairs@urban.org ( Margery Austin Turner, Susan J. Popkin ) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EST

HUD's proposal for transforming federal rental assistance expands subsidy recipients' freedom to choose where to live. This essay summarizes research evidence showing that: 1) project-based housing programs limit families' choices about where to live; 2) families benefit when they move with vouchers; 3) assisted mobility programs further expand families' options; and 4) "opportunity moves" can improve families' life chances. Although many families living in federally subsidized housing projects will choose to stay (especially if new investments improve the quality and safety of these communities), expanding opportunities for families to move strengthens federal housing policy by improving the well-being of assisted households.

Managing and Delivering Performance

paffairs@urban.org ( Randall R. Bovbjerg, Harry P. Hatry ) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EST

Organizations face increasing pressures to improve, and document, their performance. Good performance management systematically identifies desired ends, selects reasonable indicators of progress through means to those ends, and promotes continuous improvement over time. Key preconditions include assessing organizational measurement-readiness and overcoming inertiaand fearamong middle managers and front-line staff. To succeed, performance measurement must be seen as helping people do their jobs better, not creating new chains for yanking. Nurses and their employers have far to go to figure out how best to organize their caregiving and their administrative supports so as to improve quality and safety while constraining costs. Journal of Nursing Regulation 1(2):60 (July 2010); Marr, Bernard. Managing and Delivering Performance. Elsevier Ltd, 2009

The Fight Over Fiscal Rectitude: Politics or Economics?

paffairs@urban.org ( C. Eugene Steuerle ) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EST

Decades ago, my parents taught me a simple lesson: when something goes awry and its outcome remains uncertain, do what you can and should do to the best of your capability. The future may not be entirely in your control, but by setting some good things in motion you make tough issues easier to handle.

The State of Society: Measuring Economic Success and Human Well-Being

paffairs@urban.org ( Erwin de Leon, Elizabeth T. Boris ) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EST

This study provides an overview of a broad range of existing measures that go beyond gross domestic product (GDP) to offer a more complete and accurate picture of how a society and its economy are faring. Based on a review of the literature and an analysis of major arguments and rationales for moving beyond GDP as a measure of national well-being, this report identifies 14 categories of national well-being. It synthesizes hundreds of indicators found in 28 reports that present alternative indices and systems of well-being into 79 indicators organized under these categories.

Business or Public Good: It's Not Just about Saturday Delivery

paffairs@urban.org ( Nancy M. Pindus ) — Wed, 26 May 2010 00:00:00 EST

The U.S. Postal Service, once the centerpiece of American commerce and communications, is fighting for its life. The Urban Institute's Nancy Pindus scans the Postal Service's varied benefits and asks, What are Americans willing to pay or give up to keep it afloat?

A Framework for Considering the Social Value of Postal Services

Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 EST

The objective of this study, commissioned by the Postal Regulatory Commission, was to identify the array of benefits provided by the United States Postal Servicethrough its mail service and post officesthat contribute to the social value of the post. We provide a framework that categorizes benefits, beneficiaries, and measures. We also identify possible metrics and methods for estimating the value of these benefits. Research in community and economic development supports the concept of post offices as community assets and of the value of social connectedness and civic engagement, two social benefits frequently associated with postal services. This study provides an organizing scheme for detailed analysis and quantification in the future.

Social Security and the Budget

paffairs@urban.org ( C. Eugene Steuerle, Stephanie Rennane ) — Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:00 EST

In contrast to rising health care and interests costs, Social Security's growing benefits relative to taxes received represent only a modest part of the nation's major fiscal problems. Nonetheless, Social Security serves as the flagship of social welfare policy, and it places increasing demands on the economy as annual benefits grow, life expectancies increase, and the baby boomers retire. Social Security reform, moreover, has far-reaching implications. Done the right way, it can generate higher national output, personal income, and revenues for Social Security and other purposes-helping the nation achieve budget sustainability and a stronger Social Security system.

Justice Reinvestment and Honest Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE) bills : Testimony before the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security

paffairs@urban.org ( Nancy G. La Vigne ) — Wed, 12 May 2010 00:00:00 EST

City and county governments, caught between escalating and costlycriminal justice populations and strapped budgets, are searching for ways to control costs without compromising public safety. In testimony before the U.S. House Crime Subcommittee, the Urban Institute's Nancy La Vigne explained how justice reinvestment -- a process for identifying the drivers of criminal justice costs and developing new ways of reinvesting those scarce resources can benefit localities.

Why Economic Growth Isn't Enough

paffairs@urban.org ( C. Eugene Steuerle ) — Wed, 12 May 2010 00:00:00 EST

Failure to understand the causes of today's historic impasse will stymie those budget reformers tempted to believe we can use the traditional pro-growth strategy to get our fiscal house in order.

How the President's Budget Commission Can Increase Its Probability for Success

paffairs@urban.org ( C. Eugene Steuerle ) — Thu, 06 May 2010 00:00:00 EST

Few commissions change the world, and most fail. Yet, too often, blame is heaped solely on circumstances outside the commission's control, as though how well the commission conducted its business didn't matter. Steuerle outlines six ways that the president's budget commissionparticularly its chairscan up the odds that it will succeed.

Assessing the Potential of Using Value-Added Estimates of Teacher Job Performance for Making Tenure Decisions

paffairs@urban.org ( Dan Goldhaber, Michael Hansen ) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EST

Reforming teacher tenure is an idea that appears to be gaining traction with the underlying assumption that one can infer, to a reasonable degree, how well a teacher will perform over her career based on estimates of her early-career effectiveness. In this paper, the authors explore the potential for using value-added models to estimate performance and inform tenure decisions. There is little evidence that the variation of teacher effects change over teacher careers, but strong evidence that prior year estimates of job performance predict student achievement, even when there is a multi-year lag between the two.

Individual Health Mandates and a Silly Court Battle

paffairs@urban.org ( C. Eugene Steuerle ) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EST

One of the most frustrating aspects of the health reform debate has been the extent to which many legitimate questions about what might work were ignored in favor of fights over ideology. As advocacy triumphed over expertise, those who promised more than they could deliver fought with defenders of an unsustainable status quo. One result is that the new health reform still needs a lot of fancy structural work to stand and extensive plumbing to be usable.

And Now Something for Our Most Recession-Weary Workers

paffairs@urban.org ( C. Eugene Steuerle ) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EST

With economic recovery from the deep recession in view, a double-headed challenge remains. Reducing the deficit requires cutting back government spending, but we still need to promote employment and work, and that won't come free. Given this administration's progressive leanings, its attention to low- and moderate-income workers is surprisingly modest.

Dear Metro chief: It's Not Going to be Fun

paffairs@urban.org ( Olivia Golden ) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

Institute Fellow Olivia Golden, the former head of the District of Columbias Child and Family Services Agency, offers the regions subway and bus system five management lessons for turning around the problem-plagued agency.

Courage to Break Promises that We Can't Afford to Keep

paffairs@urban.org ( John L. Palmer, Rudolph G. Penner ) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

The chairs of a major study commission on our nation's fiscal future say it's time for political leaders and the electorate to come to grips with the tough choices and votes needed to put the country on a sound economic path.

Analysis of Selected New Markets Tax Credit Projects

paffairs@urban.org ( Martin D. Abravanel, Nancy M. Pindus, Brett Theodos ) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

The New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program targets debt and equity capital to businesses or organizations situated in low-income, economically distressed communities. This is a report on a diverse sample of five projects that utilized New Markets Tax Credits allocated early in the program's history. Its substantive purpose is to describe the characteristics, evolution, financial arrangements, and anticipated community impacts of the projects, while its methodological purpose is to explore the strengths and limitations of using in-depth, semi-structured telephone interviews with key project actors and stakeholders as a basis for generating data for a future evaluation of the NMTC program.

Local Government Finances in Macedonia Today: Possible Reforms for Tomorrow

paffairs@urban.org ( Anthony Levitas ) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

This study analyzes the funding of local governments in Macedonia today, and whether the current intergovernmental fiscal system provides adequate funding to the local government level. The study relies on a new local government finance database to present a picture of how local government finances have evolved over the last three years, and provides a concrete proposal for initial reforms that would improve the adequacy, efficiency, and equity of intergovernmental financial relations in Macedonia.

Choosing the Nation's Fiscal Future : Hearing before the Senate Budget Committee U.S. Congress

paffairs@urban.org ( Rudolph G. Penner ) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

Today's federal budget policies are unsustainable. Three programs - Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid - constitute more than 40 percent of spending other than interest in a normal year and all are growing faster than the economy and tax revenues. At the same time, Congress has kept the overall tax burden remarkably constant as a share of gross domestic product for most of the past 50 years. The combination of these factors leads to a growing deficit. This testimony, by a former Congressional Budget Office director, discusses four policy packages that would return the United States to a sustainable budget.