Some policymakers have asserted that the Social Security program will begin to face serious problems in 2018. This paper shows that the date would only pose a problem if the U.S. government were to default on the bonds held by the Social Security trust fund.

This paper extrapolates from data from the 2004 Survey of Consumer Finance to project household wealth, by wealth quintile, for the cohort that will be between the ages of 45-54 in 2009 under three alternative scenarios. The first scenario assumes that real house prices fall no further than...

This paper enumerates the flaws in a recent study by the Social Security Administration that relied on questionable assumptions to conclude that a projected shortfall in Social Security in 2042 would double the senior poverty rate from 2 to 4 percent.

This report looks at available data on economic growth and various social indicators - including health outcomes and education - in low- and middle-income countries over the last 25 years.

President Obama and the Democratic leadership will undoubtedly have to make some political compromises in order to get a stimulus package through Congress. However, it is important to keep in mind that there will be real costs associated with these compromises insofar as they result in a less...

This paper proposes publicly funding prescription drug trials as an alternative to the present system wherein pharmaceutical companies often finance and conduct tests of their drugs themselves. The report posits that in addition to substantial savings for the government, independent companies...

The decennial census for 2000 shows a much lower employment rate for U.S. adults than the Current Population Surveys (CPS) does. This paper corrects the data from the decennial census for reporting error and still finds a substantially lower employment rate, especially among young blacks and...

This paper explains the basic facts about the current housing market. It lays out the evidence that the rise in housing prices constitutes a housing bubble - and explains what can be expected when it inevitably collapses.

This report finds that the economic realities facing low-income families often make homeownership a less desirable housing option than renting.

Textbook prices are a rapidly increasing cost to college students. This paper examines whether it possible to design policies that would make textbooks less expensive for students by eliminating the rents associated with copyright monopolies.