Many Social Security reform proposals have emphasized the role of savings over insurance, focusing on retirement. In contrast, disability in prime working age is harder to save for and thus is arguably better considered an insurable event. However, unlike determination processes for many other...

The $69 billion mortgage interest deduction (MID) is often viewed as an element of the tax code that promotes middle-class prosperity. However, 64 percent of the benefits, as measured by effective tax reduction, goes to households earning more than $100,000 per year. The large variation in...

The "use it or lose it" phenomenon refers to the propensity of US government agencies to spend unused financial resources toward the end of the fiscal year out of fear that leftover resources will be returned to the Department of the Treasury, and will prompt future congressional budget cuts for...

The current legislative and regulatory processes may not adequately inform Congress about the scope and economic consequences of legislation. Even if Congress had such information, no mechanism exists to allow Congress to easily act upon it. The budget process permits Congress to monitor and...