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Doing What Works

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Bad Seeds Report
Poorly designed and ineffective agricultural subsidy programs weaken the competitiveness of our nation’s farmers and rural communities, drain taxpayer resources, and should be reformed. (AP/Nati Harnik)

Bad Seeds

Report from Jake Caldwell argues for reform of our direct payment agricultural subsidy programs, which could save $35 billion by 2020.

Jake Caldwell

Bring Back BABs Report
Over the past two years Build America Bonds subsidized bonds financed much-needed infrastructure investment at the state and local government level while making the tax-exempt municipal bond market stronger and more efficient. Perhaps most importantly, the program also lowered the borrowing costs for state and local governments. (AP/Ted S. Warren)

Bring Back BABs

Report from Jordan Eizenga and Seth Hanlon argues that the Build America Bonds worked and Congress should revive it.

Jordan Eizenga, Seth Hanlon

Cut Spending in the Tax Code Report
Congress is now deep in debate about how to cut spending in the remaining seven months of FY 2011. Congress also is beginning to consider how to carry those debates into the FY 2012 budget deliberations. Tax expenditures need to be on the table for discussion for both fiscal years. (iStockphoto)

Cut Spending in the Tax Code

Seth Hanlon and Michael Ettlinger explain why reducing spending in the tax code should be discussed in Congress's budget debates.

Seth Hanlon, Michael Ettlinger

Reorganizing Government to Promote Competitiveness Report

Reorganizing Government to Promote Competitiveness

Jitinder Kohli and Jordan Eizenga examine the government’s ability to make policy and implement programs that promote competitiveness, and present four options for government reorganization.

Jitinder Kohli, Jordan Eizenga

Restoring Tricare Report
As a result of unprecedented cost growth in the Tricare system, nearly 10 percent of the baseline defense budget now goes to providing medical care for active duty, reserve, and National Guard troops and their dependents, as well as military retirees of all ages and their dependents. (AP)

Restoring Tricare

The cost of military health care could eventually begin to divert funding away from other crucial national security initiatives, write Lawrence Korb, Laura Conley, and Alex Rothman.

Lawrence J. Korb, Laura Conley, Alex Rothman

The Case for State Food Action Plans Report
School lunch bureaucracy reduction and hunger and obesity reduction efforts would be greatly advanced through better utilizing direct certification procedures, expanding the use of universal meal programs, improving the quality of meals, and easing access for homeless students. (AP/J. Mark Kegans)

The Case for State Food Action Plans

Joel Berg and Joy Moses on food action plans and bringing states closer to reaching hunger and obesity-reduction goals.

Joel Berg, Joy Moses

Social Impact Bonds Report
Social impact bonds could potentially improve results, overcome barriers to social innovation, and encourage investment in cost-saving preventive services. (iStockphoto/Batman2000)

Social Impact Bonds

Jeffrey B. Liebman examines social impact bonds, a promising new financing model to accelerate social innovation and improve government performance.

Jeffrey B. Liebman

Performance Reviews That Work Report
The Federal Aviation Administration has been conducting performance reviews in some form since the early 1990s. (AP/Eugene Hoshiko)

Performance Reviews That Work

John Griffith and Gadi Dechter examine four successful performance review programs in the federal government.

John Griffith, Gadi Dechter

The Secret to Programs that Work Report
More than 80 percent of Americans think the federal budget process should be reformed so that spending decisions are based on what works, according to a 2010 Center for American Progress survey. This demands more prominent consideration during the design phase about whether a new program is likely to work. (iStockphoto/Professor25)

The Secret to Programs that Work

Jitinder Kohli, William D. Eggers, and John Griffith lay out a system for designing and evaluating effective government programs.

Jitinder Kohli, William D. Eggers, John Griffith

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Interactive: Mapping access to abortion by congressional district

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