The Latest

As the economy continues to struggle, American consumers continue to enjoy historically low interest rates. So, too, does the United States government. But federal officials must keep in mind that these low rates won’t last forever – and even small…

Last week the House and Senate passed a new highway bill to fund surface transportation programs at current levels through the end of Fiscal Year 2014. The final agreement also included a one-year extension of the current interest rate for…

The Supreme Court’s decision last week to largely uphold the 2010 Affordable Care Act cleared the way for a dramatic expansion in the number of Americans with health insurance coverage. But while the law includes some measures designed to curb…

This post was co-authored with Louise Mackey, intern from the Washington Ireland Program (more…)

In a Senate Finance Committee hearing last week, the co-chairs of a Bipartisan Policy Center panel discussed proposals to stabilize and eventually reduce the size of the debt compared to the economy.The testimony came from Pete Domenici, a former Republican…

Recent research by economists with the International Monetary Fund highlights the increasingly complex web of connections among advanced and emerging economies – connections that hold both hazards and benefits.Diane Lim Rogers, chief economist for The Concord Coalition, notes that cross-border…

In a 64-35 vote, the Senate last week approved bipartisan legislation to reauthorize farm programs for the next five years. The legislation covers a wide variety of programs administered by the Department of Agriculture, including those that provide farm income…

Lately it seems impossible to talk about the U.S. economy’s ailments and challenges without mentioning the rest of the world. (more…)