Brookings Big Ideas for America

by Michael E. O'Hanlon (Editor)

Overview

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An Agenda for the Nation

What are the biggest issues facing the country as Donald Trump and the GOP-led 115th Congress take office?

Any new administration faces a myriad of issues and problems it must take on as it ascends to power. In this volume, Brookings scholars and others offer their solutions, from Ben Bernanke and Richard Bush to Richard Reeves and Dayna Matthew, from Bob Reischauer and Alice Rivlin to Robert Kagan and Elaine Kamarck, to Belle Sawhill, Doug Elmendorf, David Wessel, Bill Galston, and Carol Graham, as well as many others.

These powerful essays engage and inform readers on a variety of timely, crucial issues that affect the present and the future of the United States. Much of the focus is on the threatened middle-class dream in America. On the domestic front, Brookings scholars tackle topics ranging from health care and jobs to economic opportunity and trade policy, to criminal justice and infrastructure. The alliance system, relationships with China and Mexico, nuclear weapons, terrorism, and the ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq are among the foreign policies issues addressed.

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Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780815731320
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	01/31/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	280
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Michael O'Hanlon is a senior fellow in Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution, where he specializes in U.S. defense strategy, the use of military force, and American national security policy. He co-directs the Center on 21st Century Security and Intelligence there with retired General John Allen. O’Hanlon is also director of research for the Foreign Policy program at Brookings. He is an adjunct professor at Columbia, Princeton, and Syracuse universities and University of Denver.

Table of Contents

Foreword Strobe Talbott xi

An Agenda for America Michael E. O'Hanlon 1

Part I The Pulse of America

1 Are Americans Better Off than They Were a Decade or Two Ago? Ben S. Bernanke Peter Olson 9

2 Unhappiness in America Desperation in White Towns, Resilience and Diversity in the Cities Carol Graham Sergio Pinto 18

3 Time for Justice Tackling Race Inequalities in Health and Housing Dayna Bowen Matthew Richard V. Reeves Edward Rodrigue 28

4 Health Policy Issues and the 2016 Presidential Election Robert D. Reischauer Alice M. Rivlin 47

5 A Government-Wide Reform Agenda for the Next Administration Elaine C. Kamarck 60

Part II Growing the Economy

6 Recommendations for Federal Budget Policy Douglas W. Elmendorf 75

7 The Most Important Non-Issue in the 2016 Campaign Bon Haskins 83

8 Infrastructure Issues and Options for the Trump Administration William A. Galston Robert J. Puentes 89

9 Short- and Long-Term Strategies to Renew American Infrastructure Adie Tomer Joseph Kane 99

10 Productivity and the Trump Administration David Wessel 110

11 Major Tax Issues in 2017 William G. Gale Aaron Krupkin 120

12 The Future of U.S.-China Economic Relations David Dollar 129

13 The Case for Trade and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Mireya Solís 138

14 Maximizing the Local Economic Impact of Federal R&D Scott Andes 147

15 Why Cities and Metros Must Lead in Trump's America Bruce Katz 157

16 Climate Change and the Next Administration Nate Hultman 167

17 Energy and Climate: Moving beyond Symbolism David G. Victor 176

18 Creating Opportunity for the Forgotten Americans Isabel Sawhill 185

19 Making U.S. Development Fit for the 21st Century George Ingram 194

20 Securing the Future of Driverless Cars Darrell M. West 201

Part III Security at Home and Abroad

21 America's Awesome Military Michael E. O'Hanlon David H. Petraeus 211

22 Countering Violent Extremism in America Robert L. McKenzie 221

23 Criminal Justice Reform William A. Galston 232

24 Lawful Hacking and the Case for a Strategic Approach to Going Dark Susan Hennessey 241

25 To Preserve an Important U.S. Intelligence Tool, Trump Needs to Set a Different Tone Benjamin Wittes 251

Part IV Foreign Challenges and Opportunities

26 America's Role in a Turbulent World Bruce Jones 259

27 The Twilight of the Liberal World Order Robert Kagan 267

28 You've Got a Friend in Me Why U.S. Alliances Make America Safer Richard Bush 275

29 U.S. Leadership in Global Education: The Time Is Now Rebecca Winthrop 284

30 U.S.-Mexican Relations After the Election's Vitriol, Ways to Strengthen a Multifaceted Partnership Vanoa Felbab-Brown 294

31 Dealing with a Nuclear-Armed North Korea Rising Danger, Narrowing Options, Hard Choices Evans J. R. Revere 303

32 President Trump's Options for Israeli-Palestinian Deal Making Martin Indyk 313

33 Iraq and a Policy Proposal for the Next Administration Kenneth M. Pollack 323

34 Deconstructing Syria A Confederal Approach Michael E. O'Hanlon 332

35 Addressing the Syrian Refugee Crisis Jessica Brandt Robert L. McKenzie 340

36 Dealing with a Simmering Ukraine-Russia Conflict Fiona Hill Steven Pifer 349

37 Nuclear Arms Control Choices and U.S.-Russia Relations Steven Pifer 357

38 Forging an Enduring Partnership with Afghanistan Vanda Felbab-Brown and Others 365

Contributors 373

Index 377