ECONOMIC POLICY
March 25, 2009
"A Deduction From Charity"
Op-Ed, Washington Post
By Martin Feldstein, George F. Baker Professor of Economics at Harvard University
President Obama's proposal to limit the tax deductibility of charitable contributions would effectively transfer more than $7 billion a year from the nation's charitable institutions to the federal government. But the high-income taxpayers affected by the rule change are likely to cut their charitable giving by as much as the increase in their tax bills, which would, ironically, leave their remaining income and personal consumption unchanged.
March 25, 2009
"To lift the US economy, lift sanctions on America's foes"
Op-Ed, Christian Science Monitor
By Bryan Early, Research Fellow, The Dubai Initiative
Facing the economic crisis, the US government should rethink existing economic sanctions' policies.
AP Photo
Spring 2009
"Reinventing Reform"
Magazine or Newspaper Article, Democracy: A Journal of Ideas
By Elaine Kamarck, Lecturer in Public Policy
"Reforming government is a difficult and thankless task. Political leaders find that reform is almost always unpopular in the short term because it disrupts existing power arrangements. And if they manage to produce reforms that bear lasting and positive results in the long run, they are often out of power by the time the reforms bear fruit. I should know—I’ve been there."
AP Photo
Spring 2009
"Obama Taps into Belfer Center Community for Key Policy Posts"
Newsletter Article, Belfer Center Newsletter
The Belfer Center is both proud and humbled that a number of its members have been asked to serve in the Obama Administration. The group's experience and expertise span many of the international challenges confronting the nation today.
Belfer Center
Spring 2009
"Spotlight: Niall Ferguson"
Newsletter Article, Belfer Center Newsletter
By Sasha Talcott, Director of Communications and Outreach
Niall Ferguson is the Laurence A. Tisch Professor of History at Harvard University and a member of the Belfer Center Board of Directors.
AP Photo
March 4, 2009
"Adults Acting Like Children"
Op-Ed, Agence Global
By Rami Khouri, Senior Fellow, The Dubai Initiative
"Throwing large amounts of money into Palestinian reconstruction while reinforcing a political context that only perpetuates Israel's regular destruction of Palestinian institutions is wasteful folly at best, and complicity in criminality at worst."
AP Photo
February 26, 2009
"The Black Hole in America’s GDP"
Op-Ed, Daily News Egypt
By Martin Feldstein, George F. Baker Professor of Economics at Harvard University
"Although the recently enacted two-year stimulus package includes a total of $800 billion of tax reductions and increased government spending, it would be wrong to think that this will add anything close to $400 billion a year to GDP in each of the next two years."
AP Photo
January/February 2009
"Priorities Before the President"
Magazine or Newspaper Article, India & Global Affairs
By Xenia Dormandy, Former Senior Associate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
In order to create a truly strategic relationship, the Obama administration will need to go beyond the civil nuclear cooperation, drawing on areas of common concern and interest.
February 7, 2009
"Executive Compensation: What Obama's Plan Means"
Op-Ed, BusinessWeek
By Ben Heineman, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
"Given the public's white-hot anger over the financial sector's unwillingness or inability to ease credit since TARP I and seemingly tone-deaf acts by corporations receiving taxpayer dollars (indiscriminate use of corporate jets, for example), the forthcoming proposals on TARP II will likely be dead on arrival if they don't appear to be tough on
executive compensation."
AP Photo
February 3, 2009
"The case for fiscal stimulus in U.S."
Op-Ed, The Korea Herald
By Martin Feldstein, George F. Baker Professor of Economics at Harvard University
"Now, however, increased government spending and the resulting rise in the fiscal deficit are being justified as necessary to deal with the economic downturn - a sharp change from the reliance on monetary policy that was used to deal with previous recessions."
