http://www.urban.org/decisionpoints08/index.cfm We ask our experts to explain the key 2008 campaign issues, in five minutes or less. Part of Decision Points '08, facts and nonpartisan perspectives from Urban Institute in Washington, D.C. en-us Copyright 2009 Urban Institute http://backend.userland.com/rss Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:25:38 EST http://www.urban.org/images/UI_logo_29x29.jpg 29 29 http://www.urban.org/decisionpoints08/index.cfm We ask our experts to explain the key 2008 campaign issues, in five minutes or less. Part of Decision Points '08, facts and nonpartisan perspectives from Urban Institute in Washington, D.C. 2008 election issue facts and perspectives web-admin@ui.urban.org Urban Institute Urban Institute no http://www.urban.org/events/Administrative-solutions-health-reform.cfm http://www.urban.org/events/upload/Step_One072009.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST Join leading health policy researchers for a lively discussion and the release of a new report, Administrative Solutions in Health Reform, a thorough analysis for policymakers and policy watchers of how to break through potential management impasses so complicated new policies can quickly become effective practices. 01:12:59 Urban Institute, Health and Health Care,Health Insurance http://www.urban.org/decisionpoints08/index.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/DecisionPoints22_tax_plans.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( Roberton Williams ) Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Listen to Roberton Williams, an expert on federal tax and budget issues, explain what the McCain and Obama tax plans mean for voters. 00:05:13 Urban Institute, Tax Policy,Taxes, the Budget, and th,General Tax Policy http://www.urban.org/decisionpoints08/21childcare.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/DecisionPoints21_child_care.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( Ajay Chaudry ) Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST The declining economy has meant intensified election-season interest in the issues that affect family budgets, like housing and health care. Child care costs also put substantial pressure on family resources, with very limited public programs to ease the way for low-income workers and their children. At the same time, many states are showing signs they may expand their early education offerings. [03:12] 00:03:12 Urban Institute, Children,Child Care and Developmen http://www.urban.org/decisionpoints08/18crimeprevention.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/DecisionPoints18_crime_trends.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Wed, 14 May 2008 00:00:00 EST The violent crime rate, which had been declining for years, went up from 2004 to 2006 and is no longer on a downward trend. Among the explanations for the crime spike is that emphasizing terrorism prevention has left less money and manpower for community policing. The federal government, and the presidential candidates, can take the lead in providing states with innovative ways to combat crime. 00:03:46 Urban Institute, Crime and Justice http://www.urban.org/decisionpoints08/17risingfoodprices.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/DecisionPoints17_food_stamps.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( Kenneth Finegold ) Wed, 07 May 2008 00:00:00 EST Whether they're running for a local office or for president, candidates on the hustings in recent weeks have turned to a new campaign issue: the rising cost of food. Voters are facing sticker shock in grocery aisles, communities are seeing food pantry stocks dwindle, and the presidential candidates are focusing on kitchen-table issues far more intensely than they might have expected when the campaign season started more than a year ago. 00:02:01 Urban Institute, Families/Parenting,Economic Well-being,Economy,Poverty http://www.urban.org/decisionpoints08/16ourfiscalfuture.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/DecisionPoints16_fiscal_future.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( Rudolph G. Penner ) Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST The price for presidential campaign promises is adding up, but where will the money come from to pay for these plans? New spending or deep tax cuts could increase the federal deficit and add to the national debt, topics largely missing from election coverage. Fiscal discipline may not be as exciting as flubs and gaffes on the campaign trail, but it's crucial to our economic future and unwise to ignore. 00:02:43 Urban Institute, Economy,Federal Budgets & Fiscal ,Tax Policy,Taxes, the Budget, and th,General Tax Policy http://www.urban.org/decisionpoints08/15capitalgainstax.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/DecisionPoints15_cap_gains.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( Leonard E. Burman ) Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST The run-up to the Pennsylvania primary raised many questions about capital gains and the effects tax-rate changes have on revenues. How significant are the candidates' differences? And how will raising or lowering the tax rate affect middle-class Americans? 00:06:02 Urban Institute, Tax Policy http://www.urban.org/decisionpoints08/14taxcode.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/DecisionPoints14_tax_complexity.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( Roberton Williams ) Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST The presidential candidates have all called for simplifications to the tax code. The U.S. tax system does much more than raise revenue; it redistributes income and rewards certain choices, like having children, going to college, and saving for retirement. And even the simplest taxes need detailed rules and collection mechanisms. 00:03:52 Urban Institute, Tax Policy http://www.urban.org/decisionpoints08/13taxgap.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/DecisionPoints13_tax_gap.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( Eric Toder ) Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST Not everyone pays every dollar owed the government or pays it on time. While stronger enforcement will help, it won't allow the next Congress and administration to avoid the hard budget decisions that expected future deficits will force them to make. 00:03:55 Urban Institute, Economy,Federal Budgets & Fiscal ,Tax Policy http://www.urban.org/decisionpoints08/13taxgap.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/DecisionPoints12_budget_constraints.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( C. Eugene Steuerle ) Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST From mortgage assistance to health care, the presidential and congressional candidates have big plans for a new administration. No matter how strongly supported, however, public programs must compete with three huge entitlements in the scramble for federal dollars. 00:04:17 Urban Institute, Economy,Federal Budgets & Fiscal http://www.urban.org/decisionpoints08/11racialdisparities.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/DecisionPoints11_racial_disparities.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( Margery Austin Turner ) Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST Sen. Barack Obamas recent speech on race traced todays racial inequalities to a history of discrimination, neighborhood segregation, barriers to homeownership, and blocked opportunities for economic advancement. That history, the candidate said, has resulted in a persistent wealth and income gap between blacks and whites and concentrations of poverty in primarily black neighborhoods. 00:03:25 Urban Institute, Race, Ethnicity, Gender,Racial/Ethnic Disparities http://www.urban.org/decisionpoints08/10jobtraining.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/DecisionPoints10_worker_training.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( Harry Holzer ) Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST For several election cycles, office seekers have debated how to cultivate well-paying jobs for working-class voters, and this year is no exception, either on the presidential campaign trail or in statehouses across the country. Urban Institute researchers can provide facts and nonpartisan perspectives on the health of the job market, job training programs, and the state of the skilled workforce. 00:03:22 Urban Institute, Labor Market,Job Mobility, Training http://www.urban.org/decisionpoints08/09lowincomeworkingfamilies.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/DecisionPoints9_LIWF.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( Margaret Simms ) Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST With the economy a top issue for voters this election year, the Urban Institute can offer information about the nations most vulnerable households, including low-income working families. These families are above the poverty line but still struggle to make ends meet. A sudden job loss or health crisis could derail them. 00:02:42 Urban Institute, Labor Market http://www.urban.org/decisionpoints08/08prisonerreentry.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/DecisionPoints8_Prisoner_Reentry.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( Christy Visher ) Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST Crime may not be the heated campaign issue it was during election cycles in the 1980s and early 1990s. But news headlines last week made it clear that crime prevention has become anything but a small task for federal, state, and local officials. Listen to Christy Visher, Urban Institute expert on prisoner reentry, describe the challenges facing ex-prisoners as they return to free society. 00:03:25 Urban Institute, Crime and Justice,Corrections and Prisoners http://www.urban.org/decisionpoints08/07housingcrisis.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/DecisionPoints7_Housing_Crisis.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( Kim Rueben ) Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST Voters will be asking about the nation's housing crisis as the presidential hopefuls prepare to compete in Texas, which has the third-highest number of subprime loans in foreclosure, and Ohio, which has the seventh-highest. Property values are falling in many states, meaning a drop in local tax revenues and high costs for municipalities and counties trying to avert foreclosures. State revenues are also falling with the slowdown in spending on building materials and home furnishings and declines in financial markets. The Urban Institute offers facts and nonpartisan perspectives on the repercussions of the housing market declines and the effect on states, local governments, and neighborhoods. 00:04:57 Urban Institute, Economy,Housing http://www.urban.org/decisionpoints08/06childrenshealthinsurance.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/DecisionPoints6childrenshealthinsurance.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( Genevieve M. Kenney ) Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST All three major presidential candidates have discussed improving health coverage for children. Whether they're calling for flexibility in how states spend public dollars or for substantially expanding state and federal programs, the presidential contenders are addressing an issue that recently has been a priority in Congress and in state houses. The Urban Institute offers facts and nonpartisan perspectives for columnists and reporters covering the debate over children's health insurance. 00:03:44 Urban Institute, Children,Child Health,Health and Health Care,State Children's Health I,Health Insurance http://www.urban.org/decisionpoints08/05immigrants.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/DecisionPoints5_Immigrants.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( Randolph Capps ) Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST With the Democratic nomination still up for grabs, the candidates are refocusing on Texas, where immigration will be a key issue and Latino voters a key constituency. Among Republicans, all three frontrunners have supported reform that offers unauthorized immigrants a path to legal status. But the issue is still controversial and emotional. Urban Institute researchers can provide nationwide and local facts and perspectives on the unauthorized population to help frame the debate. 00:04:26 Urban Institute, Immigration,Immigration Policy http://www.urban.org/decisionpoints08/04subprimemortage.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/DecisionPoints4_Subprime_Mortgage.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( Peter A. Tatian ) Tue, 05 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST Risky loans and weakening home values have stoked anxiety nationwide and forced the candidates to come up with solutions to the latest economic distress. To many Americans, it seemed like the subprime mortgage transformed overnight from an unremarkable lending product to a serious source of heartburn for investors and homeowners. The Urban Institute is a resource for data and analysis on housing policy and the subprime market. 00:03:59 Urban Institute, Economy,Housing,Federal Programs and Poli,Housing Markets and Choic http://www.urban.org/decisionpoints08/retirement.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/UI_DecisionPoints3_retirement.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( Richard W. Johnson ) Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST Many voters are worried about volatility on Wall Street cutting into their pensions. Adding to the anxiety are rising health care costs, concerns about Social Security solvency, and the erosion of traditional pension and retiree health care plans from employers. With candidates on the campaign trail focused on the economy, securing retirement incomes should be a part of the conversation. 00:03:54 Urban Institute, Elderly,Economic Well-being,Retirement/Pensions http://www.urban.org/decisionpoints08/02Uninsured.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/UI_DecisionPoints2_Uninsured.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( John Holahan ) Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST Likely voters consistently rank health care as one of the top three issues at stake in the 2008 election, and the candidates competing for the White House have taken notice. John Holahan, director of the Health Policy Center, discusses the health policy challenges facing the next president. 00:03:02 Urban Institute, Health and Health Care,Uninsured/Uncompensated C http://www.urban.org/decisionpoints08/01BushTaxCuts.cfm http://www.urban.org/decisionpoints08/upload/UI_DecisionPoints1_bush_tax_cuts.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( Leonard E. Burman ) Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST Listen to Len Burman, director of the Tax Policy Center, discuss the tax policy challenges facing the next president. 00:04:05 Urban Institute, Economy,Federal Budgets & Fiscal ,Tax Policy