May
May 29, 2009
Idea of the Day: Signing a Bilateral Strategic Framework Agreement with Pakistan
The Obama administration should apply the model of recent strategic framework agreements to Pakistan.
May 28, 2009
Idea of the Day: Build on Recent Regional and International Diplomatic Initiatives in Pakistan
The Obama administration's recent diplomacy and series of meetings in Pakistan have set the framework for a comprehensive approach to the region.
May 27, 2009
Idea of the Day: What Next for North Korea?
The Obama administration should continue to seek North Korea’s return to the negotiating table.
May 26, 2009
Idea of the Day: Give USAID Development Officers Flexibility for Development Assistance
USAID development officers and mission directors with years of practical development experience around the world are deeply constrained in their ability to disperse program funds by congressional earmarks and administrative restrictions.
May 22, 2009
Idea of the Day: The Role of Faith-Based Groups in Pakistan
International faith-based groups, comprised of Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, and Quaker communities, as well as interfaith peace-building organizations, continue to provide humanitarian and livelihood assistance to thousands of displaced people in Pakistan.
May 21, 2009
Idea of the Day: A Results-Oriented Standard for the “Meaningful Use” of Health IT
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s HITECH program rewards not the purchase of health IT but the “meaningful use” of health IT.
May 20, 2009
Idea of the Day: Tight Coordination of the Health IT Program with Provider Payment Reform
A strong public commitment to and progress toward payment reform should help cement the business case for health IT adoption and “meaningful use.”
May 19, 2009
Idea of the Day: Cutting Purse Strings for Banks that Opt Out of TARP
While news of banks being healthy enough to leave the TARP program is a welcome sign, such repayment should only be allowed pursuant to one additional requirement: Any banks opting out of the TARP regime also opt out of the various Fed, Treasury, and FDIC programs that have been providing them with easy profits subsidized by the taxpayer.
May 18, 2009
Idea of the Day: Mentoring Programs for New Teachers in High-Poverty Schools
States should provide induction and mentoring programs for teachers in high-poverty schools that are specifically tailored to the needs and challenges teachers face in these schools.
May 15, 2009
Idea of the Day: The American Clean Energy and Security Act
The American Clean Energy and Security Act, authored by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Henry Waxman (D-CA) and House Energy and Environment Subcommittee Chair Ed Markey (D-MA) would achieve a significant reduction in the greenhouse gases responsible for global warming.
May 14, 2009
Idea of the Day: Legislation to Help Save Water and Energy
The three-year-old WaterSense program evaluates plumbing fixtures and recommends those that are at least 20-percent more efficient than the existing national efficiency standard.
May 13, 2009
Idea of the Day: Restoring the Ability to Litigate Mergers
During the Bush administration, the Antitrust Division—and its partner, the FTC—litigated far fewer mergers cases than the typical three or four per year.
May 12, 2009
Idea of the Day: A "Coverage Facts" Label for Health Insurance
To improve transparency and standardize information, we suggest the development of a new information tool for health insurance consumers: a “Coverage Facts” label for health insurance policies, modeled on the Nutrition Facts label required for packaged foods.
May 11, 2009
Idea of the Day: A Progressive Antitrust Enforcement Program Tailored to the Economic Downturn
Renewed attention to antitrust enforcement should focus on several key areas in order to encourage speedy economic recovery.
May 8, 2009
Idea of the Day: Start the Process of Integration at the First Points of Contact for the Immigrant Community
The Department of Homeland Security’s efforts to create resources for newly arrived immigrants should be encouraged and expanded, and be included as part of the initial visa application process in U.S. embassies around the world.
May 7, 2009
Idea of the Day: Ending Unneeded Weapons Programs
Congress is getting ready to mark up and vote on the Obama administration's supplemental bill to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
May 6, 2009
Idea of the Day: Use Dramatically Better Information to Create a Performance Culture in K-12 Public Schools
The interviewed education entrepreneurs in a new Center for American Progress report identified the lack of a performance culture in K-12 public education as the greatest constraint on their ability to scale and succeed.
May 5, 2009
Idea of the Day:A National-Level Commitment to Better Coordinate Local and State-Level Integration Efforts
The president, Congress, and other federal agencies should do more to publicly promote the cause of integration, through increased civic education, volunteerism, and federal hiring practices. One way to signal this commitment would be through the establishment of a National Office of Integration in the White House, in addition to or as an expansion of the mandate of the existing Department of Homeland Security Office of Citizenship.
May 4, 2009
Idea of the Day: Restructuring the Weapon Acquisition System
Solutions for restructuring weapons acquisition should begin at the top, with the Quadrennial Defense Review, or QDR. The QDR should include a thorough review of the Pentagon investment program to ensure that budget decisions are aligned with the current military needs and priorities.
May 1, 2009