The fiscal impact of population change: discussion

It is now well established that world-wide demographic shifts are going to affect both the U. S. and world economies in ways that are not entirely predictable. What we can do--and what Ronald Lee and Ryan Edwards do so well--is to plot out for the future some of the fiscal implications under reasonable guesses about demographic, economic, and legal factors. These factors include what we know already from the past, such as the maximum number of people in the world of any age over 0 next year and over 10 in another ten years. A typical next step is to posit what in estimating circles is known as "current law" (defined partly by convention, not just law). Even if that law cannot possibly be maintained, some of its implications can be understood. Finally, one assumes some reasonable parameters, such as future fertility, mortality, and labor force participation, largely based on historical trends.Demography ; Economic conditions

The seven deadly sins in aging policy and research: a cautionary list for policy makers and prognosticators

Pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed, and sloth—theologians tell us that we become better people by examining these sources of failure. But my concern here is not with the classic seven deadly sins, but what I feel are the contemporary seven deadly sins being committed in current policy and research on aging. Reflecting on them likewise provides some warning signs for us acting as policymakers, researchers, or prognosticators.Labor supply ; Older people

Formation of fiscal policy: the experience of the past twenty-five years - commentary

Fiscal policy ; Budget

Why Not a "Super Simple" Saving Plan for the United States?

Describes a basic, low-cost plan to help workers build savings, with minimum employer contributions for low- and moderate-income employees, automatic employee contributions, a significant government match, streamlined retirement plans, and fairer rules

The Implications of Career Lengths for Social Security

While growing fiscal pressures and increasing life expectancy have prompted calls to raiseretirement ages so that lifetime benefits would be concentrated in older ages, some fear that this change -- without other adjustments -- might harm long-career, lower-wage workers. Tying retirement benefit eligibility to years of service might protect lower-wage workers if they tend to start their careers relatively early and work more years prior to retirement than higher-wage workers. But higher disability rates and greater employment volatility could offset lower-wage workers' early labor force starts, and lead to fewer total years of service completed. Using survey data matched to administrative earnings records, we describe variation in work histories for current and near retirees by gender, education, and other important characteristics. We find that years of service are not likely to provide an effective way to protect the lowest-wage workers. Among other reasons, men and women with the least education also work the least

Faculty Seminar On Collaboration Syllabus

This is a collectively-built, in-progress syllabus for a faculty seminar on the topic of collaboration at Swarthmore College, Spring 2016. Topics include competing definitions of collaboration across disciplines, formal and informal collaboration, rich descriptions of collaboration, metrics and measures of collaborations, digital and analog tools for collaboration, literary and historical forms of collaboration, cost/benefit analyses of collaboration, crossinstitutional collaborations, institutional versus individual collaborations, collaboration narratives, failed or tragic collaborations, and teaching collaborations. Seminar members include statisticians, historians, psychologists, visual artists, literary critics, physicists, philosophers, engineers, education studies researchers, linguists, art historians, and computer scientists. Our format will accommodate both discussions of readings based on the syllabus as well as small experiments, and planning for possible future related projects

How Much Does the Federal Government Spend to Promote Economic Mobility and for Whom?

Tracks and projects federal expenditures and tax subsidies aimed at enhancing economic mobility, such as employer-related work subsidies, homeownership, savings and investment incentives, and education and training, and who benefits from them

Administering Health Insurance Mandates

Provides an overview of health insurance mandates and administrative considerations. Based on a review of existing and proposed employer and individual mandates, outlines ways to structure them to be administered fairly and effectively

A Reference Manual for Child Tax Benefits

Describes the dependent exemption, child tax credit, earned income tax credit, child and dependent care tax credit, flexible spending accounts, and higher education credits. Discusses the complexity of child tax benefits and proposed reforms