http://www.urban.org/podcasts/index.cfm Listen in as the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C., hosts conferences and discussions that bring together representatives of the independent sector and social service agencies, government officials, the business community, researchers from the Urban Institute and other think tanks, and the press. Future podcasts will include interviews and commentary with UI's experts on the social and economic policy issues facing our nation. en-us Copyright 2010 Urban Institute http://backend.userland.com/rss Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:05:34 EST http://www.urban.org/images/UI_logo_29x29.jpg 29 29 http://www.urban.org/podcasts/index.cfm Listen in as the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C., hosts conferences and discussions that bring together representatives of the independent sector and social service agencies, government officials, the business community, researchers from the Urban Institute and other think tanks, and the press. Future podcasts will include interviews and commentary with UI's experts on the social and economic policy issues facing our nation. Policy insights and perspectives web-admin@ui.urban.org Urban Institute Urban Institute no http://www.urban.org/events/firsttuesdays/Children-and-Immigration-Enforcement.cfm http://www.urban.org/events/firsttuesdays/upload/FTFeb2010.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST Much of the contentious immigration debate has revolved around the countrys estimated 12 million unauthorized immigrants. Largely invisible have been the 5.5 million children with unauthorized parents. Almost three-quarters of these children are U.S.-born citizens. 01:32:02 Urban Institute, Immigration,Economic and Social Impac,Fiscal and Social Impacts,Immigration Policy,Welfare Reform and Immigr http://www.urban.org/events/versus/Another-Jolt-of-Stimulus.cfm http://www.urban.org/events/versus/upload/VersusJan2010.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST The economy continues to struggle, notwithstanding the $787 billion stimulus package enacted in 2009. Some fear a double-dip recession and point to the IMFs warning that fragile progress could be undone by mistiming an exit from stimulus-focused policies. Others see signs that a recovery is under way and point to the nations huge deficits and ballooning debt as reasons to begin trimming our fiscal sails. 01:12:57 Urban Institute, Economy http://www.urban.org/events/Safe-Families-Act.cfm http://www.urban.org/events/upload/Safety_Permanence_Well-Being.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST Five panelists,each with a unique perspective on the child welfare system, will look back at the lessons of ASFA and assess what they mean for tomorrows vulnerable children and families, including opportunities presented by the new Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act. 01:48:37 Urban Institute, Children,Economic Well-being,Poverty and Safety Net,TANF (Temporary Assistanc,Welfare / Poverty Program http://www.urban.org/events/firsttuesdays/Economic-Mobility.cfm http://www.urban.org/events/firsttuesdays/upload/FT_Dec09-mp3.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST While economic opportunity and upward mobility form the core of the American dream, we know too well that many Americans dont move up the income ladder, and recent trends in wages warn of serious obstacles ahead. Urban Institute research, supported by Pews Economic Mobility Project, also shows that most government spending doesnt advance a mobility agenda. 01:27:58 Urban Institute, Economy,Federal Budgets & Fiscal ,Income and Wealth Distrib http://www.urban.org/events/firsttuesdays/who-moves-who-stays.cfm http://www.urban.org/events/firsttuesdays/upload/FT_Nov09.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST Community organizations, local governments, foundations, businesses, and social service providers rely on residential stability in their efforts to alleviate the plight of impoverished families in hard-pressed neighborhoods. While trading up to a better neighborhood may improve an individual familys circumstances, frequent churning of residents may have negative effects for communities. A forthcoming examination of evidence from the Making Connections initiative, a decade-long effort sponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation to improve neighborhoods in 10 cities, will be the starting point for a debate about the intersection of poverty, neighborhood quality, and economic advancement. 01:26:36 Urban Institute, Cities and Metropolitan R,Neighborhoods/Community B,Economic Development http://www.urban.org/events/UK-Health-Secretary.cfm http://www.urban.org/events/upload/Andy_Burnham.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST In this special presentation, the United Kingdoms secretary of state for health, the Rt. Hon. Andy Burnham, M.P., will argue that now is the time for England and America to share much-needed perspective and knowledge and to bust a medical myth or two. 01:09:44 Urban Institute, Health and Health Care,Health Insurance,Health Care Systems / HMO http://www.urban.org/events/Exploding-Debt.cfm http://www.urban.org/events/upload/The-Financial-and-Economic-Consequen.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST The Congressional Budget Office's most recent long-term budget outlook declared that "current policies are unsustainable." Translation, according to tax scholar Len Burman: if we dont change course, we're doomed. America will celebrate its tricentennial with IOUs 6.5 times its total economic output if current policies continue, CBO says, and that is under implausibly optimistic assumptions about the economy. 01:27:45 Urban Institute, Economy,Federal Budgets & Fiscal http://www.urban.org/events/Youth-Serving-Nonprofits-and-Their-Funders.cfm http://www.urban.org/events/upload/Evaluating-Performance.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST The World Bank's East of the River Initiative provided two years of technical assistance to help four District nonprofits develop the capacity to evaluate outcomes. A new Urban Institute report, Evaluation Matters: Lessons from Youth-Serving Organizations, examines the agencies' progress and highlights the conditions and factors promoting and frustrating effective evaluation strategies. 01:58:31 Urban Institute, Nonprofit Sector http://www.urban.org/events/Should-Everyone-Go-to-College.cfm http://www.urban.org/events/upload/School-of-Hard-Shocks.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST The road to the American dream has a four-year pit stop on a college quadrangle. This fall, more than 18 million collegians, including 4 million freshmen, will test that axiom amid an agitated economy and rising concerns about college affordability. Meanwhile, several million new would-be workers - college and high school grads and dropouts - are fighting for good jobs. 01:27:18 Urban Institute, Employment,Education,Employment and Education,Higher Education http://www.urban.org/events/Strategies-to-combat-obesity.cfm http://www.urban.org/events/upload/Ousting_Obesity072809.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST As waistlines expand, life spans are shrinking. If recent trends continue, more than 40 percent of Americans will be obese within the next 10 years, and for the first time in the nation's history, life expectancy will decline rather than grow. The obese and overweight suffer chronic illness, poor health, and more than 100,000 preventable deaths each year. Obesity causes over $200 billion in annual health care spending, about half of which is borne by taxpayers. Further, private health insurance premiums for nonobese workers are nearly $26 billion higher annually due to obesity-generated costs. 01:25:39 Urban Institute, Tax Policy,Health and Health Care,Health Insurance http://www.urban.org/events/Child-Welfare-book.cfm http://www.urban.org/events/upload/Child_Welfare072409.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST Too often, child welfare policy and the agencies responsible for itoffices that respond to child abuse and neglect, oversee foster care placements, and seek to reunite children with their parents or find adoptive familiesare out of sight and out of mind except for fleeting moments of tragedy, such as a child's death. Yet this topic is crucial: many children come into contact with child welfare agencies each year, and far more live in highly vulnerable families with some of the same challenges and risks. Further, leaders' successes and failures dealing with these extraordinarily difficult issues hold lessons for other areas of public policy and agency reform. 01:53:29 Urban Institute, Children,Child Welfare 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/events/Road-to-Adulthood.cfm http://www.urban.org/events/upload/RoadtoAdulthood.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST Many young people in the District of Columbia lack a high school or college diploma and are ill-prepared for a labor market that demands highly skilled workers. In response to this crisis, the District government launched a reform effort in 2007 that promises to reinvent public schools and halt the years of poor performance that have plagued the city's education system. But school reform alone cannot address all of the complicated social, emotional, and economic conditions holding back the city's youth. Families, nonprofit organizations, and District agencies must all be committed partners in helping young people succeed. 01:32:11 Urban Institute, Economic Well-being,Families/Parenting,Cities and Metropolitan R,Neighborhoods/Community B,Washington D.C. Region,Governance,Nonprofit Sector,Charities, Community Orga,Education,Secondary Education http://www.urban.org/events/other3/SafetyNet-Unemployment.cfm http://www.urban.org/events/other3/upload/newsafetynet_061109.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST Unemployment insurance (UI) helps millions of out-of-work Americans provide for themselves and their families. An automatic stabilizer, it can also help to maintain consumption when the economy is in a downturn. Today's prolonged and severe recession is putting unemployment insurance to the test, especially its ability to aid low-income families, who are unlikely to have savings that could see them through these tough times. 01:32:15 Urban Institute, Employment,Unemployment Insurance http://www.urban.org/events/thursdayschild/Health-Education-and-Child-Welfare.cfm http://www.urban.org/events/thursdayschild/upload/June2009_TC.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST On the horizon is a push to monitor outcomes for children and youth across the systems that serve them, including education, child welfare, and healthcare. With healthcare reforms and changes to the No Child Left Behind Act looming, and as state child welfare agencies strive to comply with federal requirements, ideas and insights about performance measurement are especially timely. 01:25:19 Urban Institute, Children,Child Welfare,Child Health,Education http://www.urban.org/events/thursdayschild/Immigrant-Families-and-Education-Reform.cfm http://www.urban.org/events/firsttuesdays/upload/first_tues_6-1-09-mp3.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Thu, 21 May 2009 00:00:00 EST One fifth of school children have at least one foreign-born parent. Soon, more than 30 percent of all students will come from homes where English is not the primary language. This panel discusses neighborhoods where immigrant families live and how these neighborhoods affect children's opportunities, including schooling; how NCLB has shifted school policies and practices;whether large urban school districts and new immigrant destinations need different policy prescriptions; what federal, state, and local policies might increase school success for immigrant and English language students. 01:26:38 Urban Institute, Children,Child Care and Developmen,Child Welfare,Families/Parenting,Education,Elementary/Secondary Scho,Immigration,Fiscal and Social Impacts http://www.urban.org/events/firsttuesdays/Democracy-and-Security-in-Pakistan.cfm http://www.urban.org/events/firsttuesdays/upload/first_tues_5-5-09.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Thu, 07 May 2009 00:00:00 EST Local governments sit at the confluence of formal and informal governance systems in Pakistan. Law and order, service delivery, and citizen interaction with the state take place in villages, towns, and cities, where families, tribes, political parties, religious organizations, and government officials share dominion. In 2001, then-President Pervez Musharraf called for the creation of local governments better attuned to citizen preferences and adept at providing improved services. Today, this autonomy initiative is up for grabs as Pakistans provinces reconsider the role of local government and the nation readies for fall elections. 01:23:18 Urban Institute, International Issues,Public Administration & L,Civil Society & Democrati http://www.urban.org/events/thursdayschild/Kids-Families-and-Tax-Policy.cfm http://www.urban.org/events/other2/upload/NSN_Green_Jobs_042109.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EST For many concerned about the well-being of children and families -- whether they're program managers, service providers, advocates, policymakers, or policy watchers -- tax policy is terra incognita, a distant, tangled domain best left unexplored. But tax policy has become a powerful partner to government spending over the past two decades. The recent economic stimulus package included many tax provisions focused on children and families and President Obama's proposed fiscal 2010 budget promises more. 01:30:22 Urban Institute, Children,Economic Well-being,Families/Parenting,Economic Well-being,Tax Policy,Taxes, the Budget, and th,Tax Reform,Taxation of Households,Marriage Penalties and Ta,Children http://www.urban.org/events/other2/Foundation-Life-Spans.cfm http://www.urban.org/events/other2/upload/Charitable-Foundations.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST As foundations struggle with reduced assets in a still declining economy, what are the considerations regarding the current state of foundations and charitable life span? With a range of strategies to consider, how should foundations approach their asset base? Publications by panelist Francie Ostrower and Arthur Schmidt will frame the discussion. 02:27:43 Urban Institute, Nonprofit Sector http://www.urban.org/events/firsttuesdays/Frozen-Pensions.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/2009FebFT.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST Our panel of experts will bring us up to date on how employers are adjusting their retirement plans to this changing economic environment, how recent and prospective changes in pension offers and market values will affect workers' retirement, and how policymakers might respond to improve financial security for new and future retirees. 01:27:56 Urban Institute, Elderly,Economic Well-being,Economy,Retirement/Pensions http://www.urban.org/events/other/Public-Housing.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/public_housing_segregation.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:00:00 EST The Urban Institute Press invites you to a panel discussion about a new book -- Public Housing and the Legacy of Segregation -- that explores the aftermath of racial discrimination and segregation and its implications for poor families and their children. Can public housing policies simultaneously address the problems of poverty and race? If so, how? 01:21:36 Urban Institute, Race, Ethnicity, Gender,Racial/Ethnic Disparities,Federal Programs and Poli,Racial Segregation http://www.urban.org/events/thursdayschild/Health-Care-Reform-and-Children.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/2009JanTC.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:00:00 EST How will children fare in 2009 as the debate proceeds in Washington and state capitals? Join us as experts explore the process and politics of children's health policy, the traps that loom when integrating children into large-scale health reform, and more. 01:19:31 Urban Institute, Children,Child Health,Health and Health Care,State Children's Health I,Health Insurance http://www.urban.org/events/other/SafetyNet-Assets.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/2009JanSafetyNet.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:00:00 EST To further new thinking on protecting vulnerable households and helping them thrive, the Urban Institute published A New Safety Net for Low-Income Families (available at http://www.urban.org/projects/newsafetynet). Two of its papers -- "Making Work Pay Enough: A Decent Standard of Living for Working Families" and "Enabling Families to Weather Emergencies and Develop: The Role of Assets" -- will be the focus of this forum. 01:22:36 Urban Institute, Economic Well-being,Tax Policy,Poverty and Safety Net http://www.urban.org/events/firsttuesdays/Recession-and-Vulnerable-Workers.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/2009JanFT.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:00:00 EST At this event, an array of experts looks beyond the broad employment landscape to see how those at-risk groups fare in good times and bad, what might be ahead for them, what the public and private sectors should do to brighten the outlook for jobs, and what would-be workers can do to improve their chances of securing employment. 01:27:42 Urban Institute, Elderly,Economic Well-being,Families/Parenting,Economic Well-being,Employment,Job Mobility, Training an,Race, Ethnicity, Gender,Corrections, Reentry, and http://www.urban.org/events/firsttuesdays/Campaign_Promises_Fiscal_Realities.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/120208campaignpromises-2.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Tax Policy Center ) Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST Join us as fiscal experts examine the short- and long-term policy implications of exploding deficits and debt. 01:28:24 Urban Institute, Economy,Federal Budgets & Fiscal ,Tax Policy,Poverty and Safety Net http://www.urban.org/events/other/40thanniv3.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/40thDec08Retirement-2.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST Urban Institute convened a policy roundtable of leading experts on retirement and aging to explore how public policies might adapt to the needs of aging baby boomers and their children. Roundtable participants included national policy experts, senior Congressional and administration staff, nonprofit and business leaders, and press. 01:55:39 Urban Institute, Elderly,Economic Well-being,Retirement/Pensions http://www.urban.org/events/thursdayschild/Childrens-Policy-Agenda.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/2008NovTC.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST What are the dynamics of a presidential transition? How will changes at either end of Pennsylvania Avenue affect the executive and legislative branches? What will it take for children's issues to become a higher priority? What is similar this year to the past and what's new? And what will the answers to these questions mean for those who advocate for children and families? 01:23:25 Urban Institute, Children,Economic Well-being,Families/Parenting,Economic Well-being,Economy,Federal Budgets & Fiscal ,State Children's Health I http://www.urban.org/events/firsttuesdays/Economy-and-Nonprofits.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/081104ElectionEconomy.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Tax Policy Center, The Urban Institute ) Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST At the core of John McCains and Barack Obama's economic platforms are decidedly different tax agendas with differing potential effects on philanthropy. Tax analyst Roberton Williams will explain how the candidates' positions on the estate tax and income taxes will foster or frustrate donations. 01:25:35 Urban Institute, Economy,Federal Budgets & Fiscal ,Tax Policy http://www.urban.org/events/NewOrleanshousing/restoringvibrantcommunities.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/restoringvibrantcommunities.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST On September 17, 2008, Anne Kubisch of The Aspen Institute presented an interactive discussion entitled "Restoring Vibrant Communities." She presented lessons learned from comprehensive community change initiatives that can help inform rebuilding of neighborhoods in New Orleans. 00:42:14 Urban Institute, Cities and Metropolitan R,Neighborhoods/Community B,Arts and Culture http://www.urban.org/Pressroom/thursdayschild/june2008.cfm http://www.urban.org/events/upload/LHP_Roundtable_033009.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Panelists analyzed the complexities of enacting effective school-readiness policies and programs. Their observations addressed whats behind the latest interest in such initiatives, the social and political environments needed for successful early learning centers and home visitation efforts, the lessons states can draw from Illinois recent experience; and the importance of integrating home-based and learning-center programs, and providing consistent training and supervision for providers. 04:36:21 Urban Institute, Children,Child Care and Developmen,Child Support,Child Welfare,Head Start and Elementary,Families/Parenting,Education,Secondary Education 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/Pressroom/firsttuesdays/june2008.cfm http://www.urban.org/events/firsttuesdays/upload/2009AprFT.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST For most of the last generation, economists, policymakers, and journalists trained their sights on a U.S. economy that had recovered from the stagflation of the 1970s and deep recession of the early 1980s to produce sustained, if unevenly distributed, prosperity. But in the last year, prosperity has given way to something that looks much like recession and, worse yet, to the sort of intertwined problems of inflation, stagnating growth, and financial market fragility reminiscent of the 1970s. To date, most explanations for whats gone wrong have focused on a set of exotic financial schemes, the bursting of a housing bubble, and imbalances in trade and the government budget. 01:31:32 Urban Institute, Economy 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/Pressroom/thursdayschild/may2008.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/TCMay2008.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 EST As voters weigh candidates' positions on domestic issues, differing views about the government's role in helping children and families will come into play. What do members of the public believe about children and families? How do their beliefs overlap or conflict with the research and policy evidence and the demographic and economic trends that shape family life? 01:23:48 Urban Institute, Children,Economic Well-being,Families/Parenting,Economic Well-being 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,Poverty,Poverty and Safety Net http://www.urban.org/Pressroom/firsttuesdays/may2008.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/FTMay2008.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:00 EST Our time has witnessed the unprecedented combination of tax reductions at home and war abroad. War and Taxes, released May 6 by the Urban Institute Press, chronicles the political arguments, economic conditions, and public opinions that made it possible for previous presidents and Congresses to raise taxes, sell bonds, and cut domestic spending to pay for wars. 01:29:18 Urban Institute, Economy,Federal Budgets & Fiscal ,Tax Policy,Taxes, the Budget, and th 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/Pressroom/otherevents/socmed.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/HPC041608.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST This forum explores the meaning and implications of the arguments about socialized medicine. A new paper from the Urban Institute's John Holahan and Stan Dorn examining the issue serves as a springboard for a lively conversation. 01:30:59 Urban Institute, Health and Health Care,Health Insurance,Uninsured/Uncompensated C http://www.urban.org/Pressroom/thursdayschild/april2008.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/TCApril2008.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST Building on our March forum, which analyzed how tax policy affects low-income working families, in April we turn to two supports designed to help parents stay in the workforce: child care subsidies and paid family leave. 01:27:27 Urban Institute, Families/Parenting,Economic Well-being,Employment,Public Service/Subsidized 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/Pressroom/firsttuesdays/april2008.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/FTApr2008.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST In a policy field notoriously beset by ideological and partisan division, one of the few ideas enjoying support across the philosophical spectrum is the use of federal income tax credits to cover the uninsured. The only credit of this sort now availablethe Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC), serving workers displaced by international tradeaids no more than 15 percent of eligible households. Our expert panel considered what is behind the HCTC's problems and successes; whether Congress should abandon tax credits; and how (if at all) should future tax credits included in health reform be structured to replicate the HCTC's accomplishments and avoid its problems? 01:27:59 Urban Institute, Tax Policy,Health and Health Care,Uninsured/Uncompensated C http://www.urban.org/decisionpoints08/archive/12federalbudget.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, Employment,Job Mobility, Training an http://www.urban.org/Pressroom/thursdayschild/march2008.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/TCMar2008.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST The child tax credit (CTC) and the earned income tax credit (EITC) are designed to help working families with children. Yet these major initiatives leave out or provide limited assistance to some very low income families. Panelists discussed why tax programs for low-income families have expanded in recent years, while subsidy programs have remained relatively constant. They also analyzed problems that arise due to different treatment of families by CTC and EITC and the outlook and options for refining these programs that aim to support working families. 01:27:06 Urban Institute, Children,Economic Well-being,Families/Parenting,Economic Well-being 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, Employment 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, Reentry, and http://www.urban.org/Pressroom/firsttuesdays/march2008.cfm http://www.urban.org/podcasts/upload/FTMarch2008.mp3 paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute ) Tue, 04 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST Contrary to what many policymakers and citizens may think, complex social forces are not always behind a rise or fall in the crime rate. An Urban Institute analysis (available at http://www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=411552) offers evidence that the explosion in the use of iPods and other new devices may have triggered the spike in violent crime in 2005 and 2006. 01:30:52 Urban Institute, Crime and Justice,Crime Statistics