Solutions Initiative 2012
In 2011, the Peter G. Peterson Foundation launched the Solutions Initiative, which convened policy organizations from across the ideological spectrum to develop plans to achieve long-term fiscal sustainability through the year 2035. This year, to better inform the debate over the fiscal cliff and America's economic future, the Foundation asked five organizations to participate in a second phase of the Solutions Initiative, addressing near-term fiscal challenges and offering updated long-term plans.
The results of the Solutions Initiative II will be presented this week at Post-Election: The Fiscal Cliff and Beyond, a special forum convened by the Foundation. The full Solutions Initiative II report is available for download below, along with each contributing organization's plan.
The organizations involved — the American Action Forum, the Bipartisan Policy Center, the Center for American Progress, the Economic Policy Institute, and The Heritage Foundation — have proposed specific measures for resolving the fiscal cliff impasse and putting the nation on a sustainable long-term fiscal path. They have also identified and analyzed potential obstacles to achieving a budget deal and implementing their plans. And each organization has recommended top policy priorities for the 113th Congress and the incoming presidential administration.
This second phase of the Solutions Initiative shows once again that progress on our fiscal challenges — both near term and long term — is possible. Although the solutions vary widely, it is clear that the United States does not have to endure a damaging drop off the edge of the fiscal cliff, nor do we have to be complacent in the face of an unsustainable long-term trajectory. Our nation can rise above its current challenges and lay a foundation for a prosperous economy for generations to come.
Click here to read the full report (PDF)
Click here for the Solutions Initiative II Briefing Paper (PDF)
American Action Forum
"Balanced"
by Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Gordon Gray
Bipartisan Policy Center
"Domenici-Rivlin Debt Reduction Task Force Plan 2.0"
by Senator Pete Domenici and Dr. Alice Rivlin
Center for American Progress
"Budgeting for Growth and Prosperity"
by Michael Ettlinger, Michael Linden, Seth Hanlon
Economic Policy Institute
"Investing in America's Economy: A Budget Blueprint for Economic Recovery"
by Josh Bivens, Andrew Fieldhouse, Ethan Pollack, and Rebecca Thiess
The Heritage Foundation
"Saving the American Dream: The Heritage Plan to Fix the Debt, Cut Spending, and Restore Prosperity"
by Alison Acosta Fraser, William W. Beach, and Stuart M. Butler, Ph.D.
Further Reading
Growing National Debt Sets Off Alarm Bells for U.S. Business Leaders
Debt rising unsustainably threatens the country’s economic future, and a number of business leaders have signaled their concern.
What Is R Versus G and Why Does It Matter for the National Debt?
The combination of higher debt levels and elevated interest rates have increased the cost of federal borrowing, prompting economists to consider the sustainability of our fiscal trajectory.
The National Debt Can Crowd Out Investments in the Economy — Here’s How
Large amounts of federal debt could “crowd out” investments by the private sector, making the economy less productive and stunting wage growth.