In a February 27 commentary, Harvard economist Jeff Frankel criticized politicians who say they want to balance the budget while refusing to consider either revenue increases or entitlement cuts.
In a February 25 commentary, University of Maryland public policy professor Donald Kettl discussed the mechanics of a government shutdown.
In a February 23 commentary, Boston University economist Laurence Kotlikoff estimated the long-run budget deficit at 12 percent of GDP or $202 trillion.
On February 22, the U.S. Government Accountability Office released a report on the implications of a delay in increasing the public debt limit. It finds that there is a significant increase in the Treasury’s cost of borrowing.
Also on February 22, the Reason Foundation published the 2010 edition of its annual report on privatization.
In a February 21 commentary, Harvard historian Niall Ferguson suggested selling off government assets to reduce debt.
In a February 18 letter to Rep. John Boehner, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that repeal of the Affordable care Act, which Republicans favor, would raise the federal budget deficit by $210 billion between 2012 and 2021. That same day, the CBO sent a letter to Rep. Paul Ryan estimating that repeal of ACA would raise the long-term budget deficit after 2021 by about one half of one percent of GDP annually.
On February 18, the Congressional Research Service published a report on tax policy options for deficit reduction.
Also on February 18, the CRS published a report on the effects of a government shutdown.
On February 11, the CRS published a report on the effects of approaching the debt limit on government operations.
I last posted items on this topic on February 17.
Bruce Bartlett is an American historian and columnist who focuses on the intersection between politics and economics. He blogs daily and writes a weekly column at The Fiscal Times. Bartlett has written for Forbes Magazine and Creators Syndicate, and his work is informed by many years in government, including as a senior policy analyst in the Reagan White House. He is the author of seven books including the New York Times best-seller, Imposter: How George W. Bush Bankrupted America and Betrayed the Reagan Legacy (Doubleday, 2006).
