
The Brief
Get Up To SpeedSigns of economic recovery are everywhere. Housing prices have bottomed out; the stock market has rallied; and capital markets are operating normally. Today, economists are debating whether or not the recession is over. When Obama took office, the debate was whether a sharp decline in economic activity would trigger more bank failures in a vicious cycle, culminating in a full scale depression. His policies have restored confidence and that is the most important thing. Others argue that his policies will seriously undermine the long-term growth of the US economy. Our fiscal outlook is so poor that inflation is likely, undermining faith in the dollar as a global reserve asset. Cap and trade legislation will make US industry less globally competitive; his health care proposals will leave us both poorer and less healthy; and the dramatic increase in taxes needed to pay for all this will discourage risk-taking and investing.
View Debate Page- From The Panel
- For the Motion
- Against the Motion
- Recovery
- Stimulus
- Is Another Stimulus Needed?
- Unemployment
- Housing
- Bailout
- Bank Bailout
- Bank Stress Test
- Regulation White Paper
- Regulation
- Executive Pay
- Automotive Bailout
- Obamas Budget
- September Treasury Statement
- CBO Analysis Fiscal Year 2010 Budget
- CBO Budget and Economic Outlook
Steven Rattner

- Chairman & CEO, Willett Advisors LLC
Unless we start allocating health care resources more prudentlyrationing, by its proper namethe exploding cost of <a name="medicare" id="medicare"></a>Medicare will swamp the federal budget.
“Blaming technology is a common refrain from economists who hate the thought that globalization is not the world’s unambiguous salvation.”
Under Trump’s economic policies, Steven Rattner argues, “Measured in relation to the size of our economy, our national debt as a percentage of our economy would grow to 98 percent a decade from now — the highest in our history except during World War II — from the current 77 percent.”
After bringing his children to Cuba, Steve Rattner said, “I wanted my children to see firsthand the ineffectiveness of socialism at creating prosperity. And I was eager for them to appreciate that the country’s salvation could be the very system that Fidel Castro decried: capitalism.”
On the Affordable Care Act, Steven Rattner argues, “Some changes — even some alterations favored by Republicans — would make the national health care program work better.”
Steven Rattner discusses Bernie Sanders's policies.
Steven Rattner argues, “As a centrist Democrat, I’m scared to see my party pulled into positions that are both bad politics and dubious policy. And I’m disappointed that few of our party’s moderates are willing to resist the freight train coming at us from the left.”
Mark Zandi

- Chief Economist of Moody's Analytics
Reuters October 29, 2009
Office of Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) News Release October 15, 2009
Congressional Testimony by Mark Zandi September 24, 2009
Extend tax cuts for everyone except high-income taxpayers. The economy isnt great, but it is strong enough to handle higher tax rates on the wealthy.
Moodys Analytics U.S. macro forecast.
Income inequality is nothing new in this country. But the disparity between haves and have-nots is widening, and policymakers need to take action. At stake: our long-term economic success.
In 2010 Zandi supported a middle ground that would forestall any tax increases in 2011 and to phase in higher rates on upper-income households in 2012.
An interview with economist Mark Zandi: why hell argue for the motion, Congress should pass Obamas jobs planpiece by piece, at the Oct. 25 Slate/Intelligence Squared U.S. debate.
President Obamas much-anticipated jobs plan is a laudable effort to support the struggling economy. The plan would go a long way toward stabilizing confidence, forestalling another recession, and jump-starting a self-sustaining economic expansion.
The economy is struggling to avoid recession. The political spectacle over the debt ceiling and Standard & Poors downgrade of Treasury debt have upended the already-fragile collective psyche. Consumers and businesses appear frozen in place. They are not pulling back yet, but to avoid a downturn it is vital for policymakers to act aggressively to stabilize sentiment.
Allan Meltzer

- Allan H. Meltzer University Professor of Political Economy, Carnegie Mellon University
James Galbraith

- Professor of Public Affairs & Former Executive Director, Congressional Joint Economic Committee
For the Motion
Against the Motion
Recovery
Stimulus
Is Another Stimulus Needed?
Unemployment
The number of unemployed persons, at 14.0 million, was essentially unchanged in September, and the unemployment rate was 9.1 percent. Since April, the rate has held in a narrow range from 9.0 to 9.2 percent.