Revitalizing the U.S. Economy through Public Investment
Responding to the damage caused by the slowdown in housing, the subprime mortgage crisis, and fears of a U.S. recession, the New America Foundation held a national policy forum on the need for a new era of public investment on Friday, November 30, 2007.
Despite the recent economic slowdown, New America Foundation board member Bernard Schwartz opened the conference with an optimistic message. The dynamism of the American economy, Schwartz argues, bolstered by robust public investment, can overcome present challenges. Mr. Schwartz and and Economic Growth Program director Sherle Schwenninger outline a strategy for rebuilding the American economic engine in “Public Investment Works,” which appears in the fall issue of Democracy: A Journal of Ideas.
For details on this event, click here.
About Us
The United States could help drive a new era of rising global prosperity and rapid economic growth -- fueled by new technologies and production processes -- that in turn could help alleviate many of the most daunting problems we face domestically and internationally. Yet inadequate investments in public infrastructure, the skills of our workforce, and research and development, combined with an unsustainable level of consumer debt, undermine our ability to promote sustainable economic growth. The purpose of the Economic Growth Program is to develop an integrated strategy and a set of specific policy proposals to overcome these problems and promote widespread growth and prosperity.
Please use the tabs below to find recent content related to the Economic Growth program, or see the link at right for a more-detailed program description.
The Economic Growth Program appreciates the generous support of Bernard L. Schwartz.
Articles
| Article | Date |
|---|---|
| Democratizing Capital | March 20, 2008 |
| Watching Sovereign Wealth | February 28, 2008 |
| Undebated Challenges | November 19, 2007 |
| Mission Accomplished | November 15, 2007 |
| Sustaining an Infrastructure for Success | October 17, 2007 |
| Inside Track: The Financialization of Foreign Policy | October 17, 2007 |
| Public Investment Works | September 30, 2007 |
| Capital Warfare | March 29, 2007 |
| A Goldilocks World Economy? | January 31, 2007 |
| The New Economic Map of America | November 30, 2006 |
Policy Papers
| Title | Date |
|---|---|
| Do Sovereign Wealth Funds Make the U.S. Economy Stronger or Pose National Security Risks? | February 2008 |
| Back to Basics: A Pro-Growth Public Investment Strategy | November 2007 |
| The Macroeconomic Considerations of a Public Investment Strategy | November 2007 |
| Foreign Investment and Sovereign Wealth Funds | October 2007 |
| A Capital Budget for Public Investment | February 2007 |
| Realizing America's Economic Potential | October 2006 |
| Rebuilding America's Productive Economy | October 2006 |
Events
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Illusions and Delusions About the U.S. Economic Picture | April 2, 2008 |
| As the Economy Screams | January 23, 2008 |
| Whither the American Economy? | November 30, 2007 |
| Ten Big Ideas for a New America | January 31, 2007 |
| Back to the Economy | October 30, 2006 |
| Rebuilding America's Productive Economy | May 11, 2006 |
| Keeping the American Economy Strong | May 10, 2006 |
| Is America's Middle Class Making It? | June 22, 2005 |
Press
Bernard L. Schwartz
Bernard L. Schwartz's generous support underwrites New America's Economic Growth Program.
One of the nation's leading philanthropists in the realms of medical research, higher education, foreign affairs, and public policy, Mr. Schwartz is the former Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Loral Space & Communications, Ltd., one of the world’s largest satellite manufacturing and satellite services companies. In recent years, he has established endowed programs at the Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at the Johns Hopkins University, at the Graduate Faculty at the New School University, and at the Council on Foreign Relations.
For more information on Mr. Schwartz, please click here.
Staff
- Sherle Schwenninger - Program Director
- Douglas Rediker - Co-Director Global Strategic Finance Initiative
- Heidi Crebo-Rediker - Co-Director Global Strategic Finance Initiative
- Michael Lind - Whitehead Senior Fellow
- Barry Lynn - Senior Fellow
- Joel Kotkin - Senior Fellow
- Samuel Sherraden - Research Associate
Global Strategic Finance Initiative
The Economic Growth Program and the American Strategy Program are pleased to announce the launch of the Global Strategic Finance Initiative. The Initiative, co-directed by Douglas Rediker and Heidi Crebo-Rediker, will address the fast-changing relationship between global capital flows, financial markets, foreign policy and national security.
“We are extremely excited to join the New America Foundation where we will explore the increasingly important interaction between global financial markets and foreign policy. It is an area that requires just the kind of new thinking and paradigm shifts that thrive at New America,” said Heidi Crebo-Rediker. The Redikers outline some of their ideas in a recent article published in The National Interest Online.
For more information please see the Global Strategic Finance Initiative main page.



