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Social Finance: A Primer Report
Early Childhood Coordinator Jacki Wimmer reads to pre-K students at Iaeger Elementary School in West Virginia. Early childhood education is one program that could be supported using social finance mechanisms. (AP/Randy Snyder)

Social Finance: A Primer

Sonal Shah and Kristina Costa consider three prominent social financing mechanisms with the potential of unlocking new sources of capital and revolutionizing how an array of social issues are addressed.

Sonal Shah, Kristina Costa

White House Budget Drives Pay for Success and Social Impact Bonds Forward Article
Gov. Pat Quinn (D-Il) speaks to reporters in his office at the Illinois State Capitol. In the fiscal year 2014 budget, Gov. Quinn outlined plans for Illinois to become the second state to launch a Social Impact Bond program. (AP/ Seth Perlman)

White House Budget Drives Pay for Success and Social Impact Bonds Forward

New proposals in the Obama administration’s budget will help promote an innovative method to changing the way government does business and will provide a new approach to financing social programs.

Sonal Shah, Kristina Costa

Broken Budgeting Report
Copies of President Barack Obama's fiscal year 2013 federal budget at the House Budget Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)

Broken Budgeting

Scott Lilly and Eleanor Hill interview budget policy staff to get inside perspectives on the federal government's budgeting process.

Scott Lilly, Eleanor Hill

Getting America’s Freight Back on the Move Report
Investing in our freight infrastructure system would not only help American businesses remain competitive but would also immediately produce hundreds of thousands of new jobs in the construction and manufacturing industries, which are among those hardest hit by the recession. (AP/Rick Bowmer)

Getting America’s Freight Back on the Move

Keith Miller, Kristina Costa, and Donna Cooper offer recommendations for boosting investment in our economically critical freight infrastructure.

Keith Miller, Kristina Costa, Donna Cooper

A New Approach to Budgeting Article
Office of Management and Budget Director Jeff Zients briefs reporters at the White House in Washington regarding the budget. (AP/Charles Dharapak)

A New Approach to Budgeting

Jitinder Kohli weighs in on the potential of a recent Office of Management and Budget memorandum to spur agencies to focus on evidence and research in budgeting decisions.

Jitinder Kohli

Not the Ceiling, but the Floor Report
Geoffrey Canada, left, head of Harlem Children's Zone and the new Promise Academy, talks to a participant of the HCZ Summer Olympics in New York City. HCZ grapples with a problem familiar to those educating pre-schoolers nationwide: the cost and complexity of complying with different sets of requirements. (AP/Mary Altaffer)

Not the Ceiling, but the Floor

Kristina Costa explores why conflicting government rules and expectations are hampering the efforts of an innovative early childhood program in Harlem.

Kristina Costa

The American Community Survey Is Under Attack Article
Rep. Steve King (R-IA) was a prominent supporter of the GOP-led House of Representatives short-sighted vote to eliminate the American Community Survey. (AP/ Charlie Neibergall)

The American Community Survey Is Under Attack

The short-sighted vote in the House of Representatives to eliminate the American Community Survey is an antibusiness vote against informed government, writes Kristina Costa.

Kristina Costa

Improving Customer Service at the Federal Government Article
The Government Customer Service Improvement Act would require agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration to solicit and publish customer feedback as part of an effort to push the federal government toward a more customer-friendly orientation. (AP/ David Goldman)

Improving Customer Service at the Federal Government

Gadi Dechter examines the Government Customer Service Improvement Act to highlight its strengths and suggest further steps to boost confidence in our government.

Gadi Dechter

Managing Taxpayer Risk Report
The U.S. Treasury building is shown in Washington. When you look at all loans issued or guaranteed by the government over the past 20 years, one fact is clear: Uncle Sam has proven to be a safe and responsible lender. (Flickr/<a href=kidneybingos)" data-srcset="https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/05/treasury_building_onpage.jpg?w=450 450w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/05/treasury_building_onpage.jpg?w=450 450w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/05/treasury_building_onpage.jpg?w=450 450w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/05/treasury_building_onpage.jpg?w=450 450w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/05/treasury_building_onpage.jpg?w=250 250w" data-sizes="auto" />

Managing Taxpayer Risk

John Griffith and Richard Caperton assess the federal government's record in handling risks to taxpayers in its loans and loan guarantees.

John Griffith, Richard W. Caperton

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