The economists' voice : top economists take on today's problems / Joseph E. Stiglitz, Aaron S. Edlin, J. Bradford DeLong, editors.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Stiglitz, Joseph E., editor.

Edlin, Aaron S., editor.

DeLong, J. Bradford, 1960- editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Environmental policy--United States--History--21st century.

Environmental policy.

United States--Economic conditions--21st century.

United States.

United States--Economic policy--21st century.

United States--Social conditions--21st century.

United States--Social policy--21st century.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Edition:

2nd ed.

Place of Publication:

New York ; Chichester, England : Columbia University Press, 2008.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

In this valuable resource, more than thirty of the world's top economists offer innovative policy ideas and insightful commentary on our most pressing economic issues, such as global warming, the global economy, government spending, Social Security, tax reform, real estate, and political and social policy, including an extensive look at the economics of capital punishment, welfare reform, and the recent presidential elections. Contributors are Nobel Prize winners, former presidential advisers, well-respected columnists, academics, and practitioners from across the political spectrum. Joseph E. Stiglitz takes a hard look at the high cost of the Iraq War; Nobel Laureates Kenneth Arrow, Thomas Schelling, and Stiglitz provide insight and advice on global warming; Paul Krugman demystifies Social Security; Bradford DeLong presents divergent views on the coming dollar crisis; Diana Farrell reconsiders the impact of U.S. offshoring; Michael J. Boskin distinguishes what is "sense" and what is "nonsense" in discussions of federal deficits and debt; and Ronald I. McKinnon points out the consequences of the deindustrialization of America. Additional essays question whether welfare reform was successful and explore the economic consequences of global warming and the rebuilding of New Orleans. They describe how a simple switch in auto insurance policy could benefit the environment; unravel the dangers of an unchecked housing bubble; and investigate the mishandling of the lending institutions Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Balancing empirical data with economic theory, The Economists' Voice proves that the unique perspective of the economist is a vital one for understanding today's world. To learn more about the electronic journals published by The Berkeley Electronic Press, please visit http://www.bepress.com/ev.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

1. Climate Change: The Uncertainties, the Certainties, and What They Imply About Action

2. Global Climate Change: A Challenge to Policy

3. A New Agenda for Global Warming

4. A Meaningful Second Commitment Period for the Kyoto Protocol

5. Divergent Views on the Coming Dollar Crisis

6. U.S. Offshoring: Small Steps to Make It Win- Win

7. Advance Market Commitments: How to Stimulate Investment in Vaccines for Neglected Diseases

8. Should We Still Support Untrammeled International Capital Mobility? Or Are Capital Controls Less Evil Than We Once Believed?

9. The Economic Cost of the Iraq War

10. The High Cost of the Iraq War

11. Sense and Nonsense About Federal Deficits and Debt

12. Government Deficits and the Deindustrialization of America

13. Confusions About Social Security

14. The Many Definitions of Social Security Privatization

15. The Virtues of Personal Accounts for Social Security

16. Could Social Security Go Broke?

17. A Broader Perspective on the Tax Reform Debate

18. Tax Reform: Time for a Plan C?

19. Taxes on Investment Income Remain Too High and Lead to Multiple Distortions

20. Progressive Consumption Taxation as a Remedy for the U.S. Savings Shortfall

21. Was Welfare Reform Successful?

22. Cutting the Safety Net One Strand at a Time

23. The Choose- Your- Charity Tax: A Way to Incentivize Greater Giving

24. Should the Government Rebuild New Orleans or Just Give Residents Checks?

25. Does College Still Pay?

26. How to Deal with Terrorism

27. The Economics of Capital Punishment

28. On the Economics of Capital Punishment

29. The Death Penalty: No Evidence for Deterrence

30. Reply to Donohue and Wolfers on the Death Penalty and Deterrence

31. Letter: A Reply to Rubin on the Death Penalty

32. Reply: The Death Penalty Once More

33. Long- Term Perspectives on the Current Boom in Home Prices

34. The Menace of an Unchecked Housing Bubble

35. What to Do About Fannie and Freddie?

Index

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780231527866

0231527861

OCLC:

940685831