Examines the effects of rising social security costs and of measures adopted to deal with them, and discusses possible ways of coping with the shortfall of available money for the aging American population.

Can America Afford to Grow Old?: Paying for Social Security

Business & Money

Aaron, Henry

Burtless, Gary

Bosworth, Barry P.

Economics

Brookings Institution Press

During the 1970s the world economy suffered two price shocks. From 1972 through 1974 the prices of primary commodities—in particular grains and petroleum—rose to unprecedented levels in world markets. After 1974 many of these prices fell, but again in 1979 world oil prices doubled and the prices of other basic commodities increased rapidly. What were the causes and consequences of these large price fluctuations? Were they the main reason for the worsening of inflation during the 1970s? And what can be done to restrain their influence on inflation in the future?

Commodity Prices and the New Inflation

Lawrence, Robert Z.

<div>The sharp decline in U.S. productivity growth in the 1970s has brought about a renewed interest in economic policies to expand aggregate supply. Particular importance has been given to the role played by government intervention in the form of taxes, transfer payments, and regulation. This volume asks just what is known about the effect of government policy on the productive capacity of the nation. It also looks at the role played by capital formation, technological change, and the quality of the work force.</div>

Tax Incentives and Economic Growth

The Economics of Federal Credit Programs discusses government lending, government guaranty of loans, and credit control in the United States.

The Economics of Federal Credit Programs

Rhyne, Elisabeth H.

Carron, Dr. Andrew S.

The emergence of large trade imbalances among the industrial countries during the 1980s-particularly the massive deficit of the United States and the surpluses of Germany and Japan-has led to growing disenchantment with the international economic system. But while many critics point to unfair trade practices as the cause of these imbalances, others contend that this emphasis is misplaced. In this provocative book by one of the nation's leading economists, Barry Bosworth argues that disparities are not the result of external infraction, but rather a reflection of domestic failures. He shows that the United States, for example, with its large government budget deficit and low rate of private saving, must borrow abroad to finance its investments. Similarly, trade surpluses of countries such as Japan reflect a surplus of national saving over domestic investment, rather than restrictive trade practices. Bosworth explains that large trade imbalances became possible in the 1980s because of the development of an international capital market that greatly reduced the barriers to borrowing and lending across national borders. The result is an international system in which national economies are closely linked through international capital markets as well as trade in goods and services. Using data from the major industrial countries, Bosworth highlights the process by which changes in domestic rates of saving and investment lead to changes in interest rates, exchange rates, and trade balances. He first examines why national saving and investment have fallen throughout the industrialized world. He then focuses on how exchange rates respond to trade imbalances, and considers whether the wide fluctuations in exchange rates are a cause for concern or simply an integral part of the international adjustment to the divergent patterns of national saving and investment.

Saving and Investment in a Global Economy

The emergence of large trade imbalances among the industrial countries during the 1980s - particularly the massive deficit of the United States and the surpluses of Germany and Japan - has led to growing disenchantment with the international economic system. But while many critics point to unfair trade practices as the cause of these imbalances, others contend that this emphasis is misplaced. In this provocative book by one of the nation's leading economists, Barry Bosworth argues that trade disparities are not the result of external infractions, but rather a reflection of domestic failures. He shows that the United States, for example, with its large government budget deficit and low rate of private saving, must borrow abroad to finance its investment. Similarly, trade surpluses of countries such as Japan reflect a surplus of national saving over domestic investment, rather than restrictive trade practices. Bosworth explains that large trade imbalances became possible in the 1980s because of the development of an international capital market that greatly reduced the barriers to borrowing and lending across national borders. The result is an international system in which national economies are closely linked through international capital markets as well as through trade in goods and services. Using data from the major industrial countries, Bosworth highlights the process by which changes in domestic rates of saving and investment lead to changes in interest rates, exchange rates, and trade balances. He first examines why national saving and investment have fallen throughout the industrialized world. He then focuses on the determinants of exchange rates and trade flows, and considers whether the wide fluctuations in exchange rates are a cause for concern or simply an integral part of the international adjustment to the divergent patterns of national saving and investment.

Brookings Inst Pr

The still chaotic states of the former Soviet Union, a growing China, and the divergent nations of Eastern Europe are striving to radically transform their economies. In their quest to become more integrated with the global economy, they are making historic changes to move toward market-based, private-enterprise systems. In this book, Barry P. Bosworth and Gur Ofer provide a balanced assessment of the progress of integration among the formerly centrally planned economies. So far, the results of the reform process range from amazing success in China to economic and political disarray in the states of the former Soviet Union. The authors outline the key issues that any successful reform program must address and the sequence in which these reforms should take place.
 A volume of Brookings' Integrating National Economies Series

Reforming Planned Economies in an Integrating World Economy (Integrating National Economies: Promise & Pitfalls)

The still chaotic states of the former Soviet Union, a growing China, and the divergent nations of Eastern Europe are striving to radically transform their economies. In their quest to become more integrated with the global economy, they are making historic changes to move toward market-based, private-enterprise systems. In this book, Barry P. Bosworth and Gur Ofer provide a balanced assessment of the progress of integration among the formerly centrally planned economies. So far, the results of the reform process range from amazing success in China to economic and political disarray in the states of the former Soviet Union. The authors outline the key issues that any successful reform program must address and the sequence in which these reforms should take place.
A volume of Brookings' Integrating National Economies Series

Reforming Planned Economies in an Integrating World Economy (Integrating National Economies)

Ofer, Gur

The Decline in Saving: A Threat to America's Prosperity?

Longtime Brookings economist and former presidential adviser Barry Bosworth examines why saving rates in the United States have fallen so precipitously over the past quarter century, why the initial consequences were surprisingly benign, and how reduced saving will affect the future well-being of Americans. The Decline in Saving provides an extensive and unparalleled account of the complexity of present saving patterns, an issue made even more serious by the 2008–09 global economic and financial crises. It objectively examines saving at both the individual household and the aggregate economy levels to understand whether the U.S. decline in saving is truly a threat to American prosperity.Highlights from The Decline in Saving:"The magnitude of the two-decade-long fall in household saving has been truly astonishing; it is even more surprising in view of the fact that the large cohort of baby boomers should have been in their peak saving years.""If Americans save so little, why are they so rich? This divergence emerges because the conventional measure of saving excludes all forms of capital gains....""Saving behavior appears to be influenced in important ways by country-specific institutional factors along with a few common determinants, such as income growth, demographic changes, and variations in private wealth.""In the aggregate, the United States has had a negative net national saving rate since the onset of the financial crisis, and it now relies on foreign resource inflows to finance all its capital accumulation and a portion of its consumption.""The optimistic projections of just a few years ago about the future well-being of retirees now seem seriously dated."

North American Free Trade: Assessing the Impact

Based on papers presented at a Brookings Institution conference held in April 1992, entitled NAFTA: an Assessment of the Research. Noted trade and development experts review the available literature on the effects of the proposed North American Free Trade Agreement, and suggest that the agreement constitutes a net plus for all three countries (Canada, US, Mexico) involved. Paper edition (unseen), $10.95. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

Lustig, Nora

International

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Bosworth, Barry P.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Bosworth, Barry P.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Bosworth, Barry P.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Can America Afford to Grow Old?: Paying for Social Security

Commodity Prices and the New Inflation

Tax Incentives and Economic Growth

The Economics of Federal Credit Programs

Saving and Investment in a Global Economy

Saving and Investment in a Global Economy

Reforming Planned Economies in an Integrating World Economy (Integrating National Economies: Promise & Pitfalls)

Reforming Planned Economies in an Integrating World Economy (Integrating National Economies)

The Decline in Saving: A Threat to America's Prosperity?

North American Free Trade: Assessing the Impact