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America's Fiscal and Economic Outlook: Where Do We Go From Here? Session 1
The Peter G. Peterson Foundation Economic Forum brings together thought leaders shaping the future of our nation for in-depth conversations on America’s most pressing issues.
With our economy in recovery, our debt rising unsustainably, and our nation still grappling with a devastating pandemic, America faces many critical questions for its future. Where do we go from here?
To help illuminate and improve the understanding of this critical moment, the Peterson Foundation has convened twelve leading experts with diverse views from across the political spectrum to share their views on the answer to this fundamental question. As we launched this new resource, two of the initiative’s authors joined us to share their creative and thoughtful solutions to help guide citizens and policymakers through this uniquely challenging time. A summary of their discussion is available here.
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William Gale
Arjay and Frances Fearing Miller Chair in Federal Economic Policy, Brookings Institution and co-director, Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center
William Gale is the Arjay and Frances Fearing Miller Chair in Federal Economic Policy and a senior fellow in the Economic Studies Program at the Brookings Institution. His research focuses on tax policy, fiscal policy, pensions and saving behavior. He is co-director of the Tax Policy Center, a joint venture of the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute. He is also director of the Retirement Security Project. He is the author of Fiscal Therapy: Curing America’s Debt Addiction and Investing in the Future (Oxford 2019). From 2006 to 2009, he served as Vice President of Brookings and Director of the Economic Studies Program. Prior to joining Brookings in 1992, he was an assistant professor in the Department of Economics at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a senior economist for the Council of Economic Advisers under President George H.W. Bush.
Sita Slavov
Professor of Public Policy, Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University
Sita Nataraj Slavov is a professor of public policy at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. She is also a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, an editor at the Journal of Pension Economics and Finance, and a non-resident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. She has previously served as a member of the 2019 Social Security Technical Panel on Assumptions and Methods, a senior economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers, and an associate professor at Occidental College. She received her Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University and her B.A. from the College of William and Mary.
Professor Slavov’s research focuses primarily on public finance and the economics of aging. She has published numerous articles, book chapters, and policy briefs on work at older ages and retirement policy. Her work has appeared in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Health Economics, the Journal of Public Economics, the Journal of Human Resources, the Review of Economic Studies, and the Journal of Public Economic Theory. In addition to her scholarly work, she has published many op-eds and blog posts in outlets such as the New York Times Room for Debate, the Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg Tax, Real Clear Markets, and the U.S. News Economic Intelligence Blog.
Michael A. Peterson
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation
Michael A. Peterson is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to addressing America’s fiscal challenges and building a stronger economic future. The Foundation engages in grant-making, partnerships and research to educate citizens and foster solutions to put America on a sustainable fiscal path. Michael sets the Foundation’s policy direction and strategy, shaping its major programs and initiatives.
Michael combines his dedication to public service with extensive private sector experience as an entrepreneur, operator and investor. In 2007, he co-founded Evolve IP, an award-winning telecommunications company named as one of America’s 50 best places to work (Inc. Magazine), best entrepreneurial companies (Entrepreneur Magazine) and fastest growing technology companies (Deloitte Fast 500). Michael also co-founded GPX Enterprises, L.P., which makes direct investments in operating businesses and real estate. Previously, he held a number of corporate finance positions, leading and executing transactions totaling several billion dollars. Michael also currently serves as the CEO of Peterson Management, LLC, which manages the Peterson family investments.
Michael is Chair of the Board of Directors of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, and serves on the boards of the Nuclear Threat Initiative and the Partnership for New York City. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Economic Club of New York, and Business Executives for National Security. He has received the Corporate Community Achievement Award from the Northside Center for Child Development and the Visionary Award from the Committee for Economic Education. Additionally, he has established his own foundation, which focuses on a variety of philanthropic areas.
Michael graduated Magna Cum Laude and with Honors from Brown University, where he was awarded the Taubman Prize for his thesis. He received his Master's degree from the London School of Economics. Michael lives in New York with his wife, Tara Peters, and their two children.