US & Canada

The Illinois pensions’ predicament

16 May 2013 | Charles Chieppo

Lawmakers in the US state of Illinois have a difficult choice in trying to fix the nation’s worst-funded pension scheme. They can adopt a plan that saves a lot of money or one that might get through the courts Read more

Tags: Chicago | Illinois | Pensions | Public Spending | US & Canada 4 comments

US economy: wake-up call for Washington

8 May 2013 | David M Walker

The US is becoming less competitive partly because it refuses to address mounting debt problems. Federal policymakers in Washington DC have to make some tough choices to put the nation’s finances in order and improve economic prospects Read more

When PPPs are a bad idea

14 March 2013 | Charles Chieppo

Public-private partnerships can bring big benefits, but they are not a panacea for US states and cities in dire financial straits. Cincinnati’s proposed £92m parking-lease deal is a case in point Read more

The political reality of the stimulus

26 February 2013 | Paul Posner

Given the decentralisation of the modern governance system in the US, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the nation isn’t showering President Barack Obama with gratitude for his £800bn stimulus package Read more

Russia must lead fiscal revolution

25 February 2013 | Ian Ball

Some progress has been made in the campaign to improve government accounting. But the G20, now chaired by Russia, must do more to demonstrate the need for clear, complete and transparent financial information Read more

US accounts: delayed and dire

22 January 2013 | David M Walker

There was little fanfare for the month-late publication of the US federal government’s accounts. But it’s important for the public to be aware of the terrible fiscal situation and that the accounting methods disguise the extent of the problem Read more

An ‘L’ of an economic forecast

18 January 2013 | Owen Tudor

If global political leaders don’t change course and abandon austerity, we could be looking at an ‘L’ shaped economy for years to come. The G8 and G20 meetings ought to be discussing a co-ordinated stimulus to kick-start a rapid recovery Read more

In denial about debt

11 January 2013 | Tim Morgan

Political leaders in the US, Europe and UK are in near-total denial about the economic and fiscal facts. They are presiding over borrowing-junkie economies, incapable of growth without continuous debt fixes Read more

Hard choices on public pensions

9 January 2013 | Charles Chieppo

Cities and states across the US are having to face up to the fact that they have unsustainable pension schemes for their employees. Rhode Island has bitten the bullet, but Illinois is delaying the inevitable pain Read more

Compromise and the fiscal cliff

18 December 2012 | Stephen Michael MacLean

American politicians have been told that they need to respond to the fiscal cliff by negotiating a deal with their opponents. But is compromise always the answer? Read more

US & Canada

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