Gokhale and Smetters argue that traditional budget measures are especially ill suited to monitor fiscal sustainability in the context of growing social insurance programs. Focussing on the USA, they suggest that federal budget agencies should begin reporting different indicators which can give a...

This paper describes the deficiencies of the measures used to calculate the federal budget, make revenue and spending projections, and assess the sustainability of current fiscal policies. The nature of the deficiencies hides the tremendous impact that Social Security and Medicare commitments...

President Barack Obama says he wants an "adult conversation" about the budget. He also wrote that the "administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in government." This commitment was in his first official action as president: a memorandum on "transparency and open...

The consistent refusal by Obama Administration officials to release details of the Office of Management and Budget's long range budget projections compelled the use of the only other reliable source of budget information: The Congressional Budget Office's 10-year budget projections from March...