The Brookings Cafeteria

As a part of Brookings Centenary series, Strobe Talbott, current president of Brookings, and Bruce MacLaury, president of Brookings from 1977 to 1995, look to the major policy challenges that Brookings should take on in its second century while they reflect on their own periods of leading Brookings. Talbott and MacLaury discuss the role of Brookings in the past, present, and future as a nexus of non-partisan ideas, with a passionate commitment to the common good. From their perspectives, the two presidents examine how the landscape of public policy research and analysis has changed since the years they assumed the presidency of Brookings.

Gary Burtless, a senior fellow in Economic Studies, explains new research on the growing longevity gap between high-income and low-income Americans, especially among the aged. “Life expectancy difference of low income workers, middle income workers, and high income workers has been increasing over time,” Burtless says. “For people born in 1920 their life expectancy was not as long typically as the life expectancy of people who were born in 1940. But those gains between those two birth years were very unequally distributed if we compare people with low mid-career earnings and people with high mid-career earnings.” Burtless also discusses retirement trends among the educated and non-educated, income inequality among different age groups, and how these trends affect early or late retirement rates. Also stay tuned for our regular economic update with David Wessel, who also looks at the new research and offers his thoughts on what it means for Social Security. Show Notes Later retirement, inequality and old age, and the growing gap in longevity between rich and poor Disparity in Life Spans of the Rich and the Poor Is Growing Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on iTunes, listen on Stitcher, and send feedback email to [email protected].

Ted Piccone, a senior fellow in the Project on International Order and Strategy discusses the five rising democracies; Brazil, South Africa, India, Indonesia, and Turkey and their role in the international liberal order. “These countries show that you can have democratization and improvements in political freedom and at the same time grow your economies and improve in terms of human development,” Piccone says. In the podcast, Piccone provides an overview of each of the five nations highlighted in his new book, “Five Rising Democracies and the Fate of the International Liberal Order,” and how their economic, social, and political development allows them greater access in global politics. Also in this episode, “Steve Hess Stories” with Senior Fellow Emeritus Stephen Hess. Show Notes Five Rising Democracies and the Fate of the International Liberal Order More Steve Hess Stories on SoundCloud Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on iTunes, listen on Stitcher, and send feedback email to [email protected].

Molly Reynolds, a fellow in the Governance Studies Program at Brookings, explains why the Iowa Caucuses matter so much in the presidential election. She also discusses what to expect from Congress this year for both congressional elections and the presidential election. “There are a lot of quirky details to the Iowa Caucus,” Reynolds says. In this interview, she explains what makes the Iowa Caucuses so important in the presidential nomination process and what to expect as the races continue. She also weighs in on what we can expect from Congress this year, including appropriations and what Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he plans to do. Also in this episode: Listen to Hollie Russon Gilman, a fellow at New America and Harvard’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, discuss her new book "Democracy Reinvented." Also, get to know Vanessa Williamson, a fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings, during our "Coffee Break." Show Notes: Primary Politics: Everything You Need to Know about How America Nominates Its Presidential Candidates How unrepresentative are the early presidential primary states? After Iowa, advice from "The West Wing" might get Hillary to the Oval Democracy Reinvented Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on iTunes, listen on Stitcher, and send feedback email to [email protected].

This episode features two of the leaders of the Brookings Institution: the co-chairs of the Brookings Board of Trustees, John L. Thornton and David M. Rubenstein. They reflect on our first 100 years and share their thoughts on Brookings’s second century. The episode is the first in a series celebrating 100 years of the Brookings Institution. Later in this series, you’ll hear from former and current Brookings presidents as well as scholars.

In this week’s episode, John Page, a senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development Program, assesses the potential role of several economic strategies in transforming Africa’s industrial development for the global economy. “Between now and about 2030, the estimates are that as many as 85 million jobs at [the] bottom end of manufacturing will migrate out of China. So the question is: where will they go?” In this podcast, Page explains that with policy change, great focus, and a cohesive implementation of economic strategies, a number of African countries can capitalize on this opportunity in the global market. Also in this episode: Our regular economic update with David Wessel, senior fellow and director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy. Also, a new segment about issues affecting metropolitan areas with Alan Berube, senior fellow and deputy director of the Metropolitan Policy Program. Show Notes: Made in Africa Made in Africa: Some New Thinking on Africa Industrialization Day Foresight Africa: Top priorities for the continent in 2016 Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on iTunes, listen on Stitcher, and send feedback email to [email protected].

Tune in to hear Sarah Binder, senior fellow in Governance Studies, and Bill Galston, senior fellow and the Ezra K. Zilkha Chair in Governance Studies and former policy advisor to President Bill Clinton, review President Obama’s State of the Union address and look ahead to the 2016 presidential and congressional elections. In this episode, they assess policy issues from the Obama Administration and discuss how the presidential candidates will address these issues. They identify the political party of the next President as a determining characteristic in the legacy President Obama will leave behind. Show Notes: Obama's final State of the Union: An incomplete success State of the Union 2016 research and commentary America's Political Dynasties Brookings, Esquire team up on critical choices for America Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on iTunes, listen on Stitcher, and send feedback email to [email protected].

Ted Gayer, vice President and director of the Economic Studies Program at Brookings and the Joseph A. Pechman Senior Fellow, forecasts the top economic issues in the upcoming year. Tune in to hear more about the labor market, wages, and productivity growth in 2016. Gayer also outlines which economic issues the presidential candidates should be talking about in the elections and how much impact the president has in economic policy decisions. Also in this podcast: “What’s Happening in Congress” with John Hudak, senior fellow in Governance Studies and deputy director of the Center for Effective Public Management. And also get to know Mike Hansen, senior fellow and deputy director of the Brown Center on Education Policy, during our “Coffee Break.” Show Notes: Rising morbidity and mortality in midlife among white non-Hispanic Americans in the 21st century (Case/Deaton study) Top Economic Stories of 2015 (from Economic Studies Program) Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on iTunes, listen on Stitcher, and send feedback email to [email protected].

In this last episode of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast for 2015, you'll hear some of the best moments from the show selected from the year's episodes. Thanks to the team that makes this podcast possible: Zack Kulzer, Mark Hoelscher, Carissa Nitchy, Jessica Pavone, Rebecca Viser and Eric Abalahin. Also, special thanks to the leadership and support of David Nassar and Richard Fawal. And a very special thanks to our intern Karen WaelGirgis, who was instrumental in putting this episode and many others together. Show Notes: Visit the home page for the Brookings Cafeteria podcast to listen to all of the episodes. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on iTunes, listen on Stitcher, and send feedback email to [email protected].

Rebecca Winthrop, senior fellow and director of the Center for Universal Education at Brookings, discusses her new book (co-authored with Gene Sperling and Christina Kwauk) "What Works in Girls' Education: Evidence for the World's Best Investment" (Brookings Institution Press, 2015). “Girls’ education really is quite unique in terms of interventions you can do," she says. "Not because it’s a silver bullet; there are no such things as silver bullets. But, certainly in developing country contexts, it has so many high returns across such a wide variety of areas important for society.” In this podcast, Winthrop walks us through the evolution of girls’ education and how “Twenty-five years ago, girls’ education was an issue in every single country in the world.” She reminds us that there’s a reason to be optimistic: “There are a lot of huge gains in girls’ education. There is a lot to celebrate. Over the last twenty years, the number of girls who have been out of school have been cut in half.” Also in this podcast: Listen to Bill Frey, senior fellow in the Metropolitan Policy program and author of the book “Diversity Explosion,” answer a question from one of our listeners on how we define post-baby boom generations. And also stay tuned for the next installment of “Steve Hess Stories,” in which Senior Fellow Emeritus Stephen Hess discusses his childhood in New York City and his first memories of the presidency. ______________________________________________ Show Notes: What Works in Girls’ Education: Evidence for the World’s Best Investment Diversity Explosion: How New Racial Demographics are Remaking America America’s Political Dynasties Also listen to our other podcast episodes about global education: Education challenges in the Arab world, with Maysa Jalbout The power of universal education, with Julia Gillard A bleak picture for children's education in the Arab world, with Hafex Ghanem and Liesbet Steer Educating Children Worldwide: Access Plus Learning, with Rebecca Winthrop __________________________________________________________ Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on iTunes, listen on Stitcher, and send feedback email to [email protected].