The Economists' Voice Top Economists Take on Today's Problems

In this unique resource, Nobel Prize winners, former presidential advisers, well-respected columnists, academics, and practitioners from across the political spectrum offer innovative policy ideas and insightful commentary on our most pressing economic issues. These essays take a hard look at the high cost of the Iraq War, provide insight and advice on global warming, demystify Social Security, reconsider the impact of U.S. offshoring, and identify the consequences of the deindustrialization of America. They also question whether welfare reform was successful and explore the economic consequences of global warming and the rebuilding of New Orleans. Contributors describe how a simple switch in auto insurance policy could benefit the environment; they unravel the dangers of an unchecked housing bubble; and they investigate the mishandling of the lending institutions Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Balancing empirical data with economic theory, this collection proves the economist's voice is a vital one.