February 10 and 11, 2006
USC Gould School of Law

Sponsored by USC-Caltech Center for the Study of Law and Politics,
The USC School of Policy Planning and Development through a grant from the James Irvine Foundation, and Harvard Law School

Briefing Papers| Participants

ABSTRACTS

Schedule of Events

Friday, February 10th 2006

10:00am-12:00pm

Panel 1: Theories of Deficits and the Regulation of Deficits
Michael Boskin
"Perspectives on Federal Deficits and Debt"
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Jürgen von Hagen
"Fiscal Rules and Fiscal Performance in the EU and Japan"
Please click here for the Tables for the above paper
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Jonathan Baron and Ed McCaffery
"Starving the Beast: The Psychology of Budget Deficits"
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Commentator: John Matsusaka
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12:00 pm-1:00 pm  Lunch

1:15-3:15 pm
Panel 2: Political Constraints on Budgeting
Elizabeth Garrett and Adrian Vermeule                                                                        "Transparency in the Budget Process"

Brian Knight
"Legislative Representation, Bargaining Power, and the Distribution of Federal Funds: Evidence from the U.S. Senate"
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Thad Kousser, Mathew McCubbins, and Kaj Rozga                                                           "When Does the Ballot Box Limit the Budget? Politics and Spending Limits in California, Colorado, Utah and Washington."   
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Commentator: Cheryl Block

3:30pm-5:30 pm
Panel 3: State Law Issues in Budgeting
Barry R. Weingast and John J. Wallis
"Dysfunctional or Optimal Institutions?:  State Debt Limitations, the Structure of State and Local Governments, and the Finance of American Infrastructure"
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Juliet Musso, Elizabeth Graddy, and Jennifer Grizard
"State Budgetary Processes and Reforms-The California Story"
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Jaime Calleja Alderete, Tracy Gordon and Jon Sonstelie
"Much Ado About Nothing?:  Tax and Expenditure Limits and Government Responsiveness"
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Commentator: David Super

5:30 pm: Cocktail Reception

6:00 pm
Dinner and remarks by Douglas Holtz-Eakin (Former Director, Congressional Budget Office)

Saturday, February 11th 2006

9:00am-11:00am

Panel 4: Fiscal Gaps and Fiscal Language
Kent Smetters and Jagadeesh Gokhale                                                                             "Measuring Social Security's Financial Outlook Within an Aging Society"
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Alan J. Auerbach, William G. Gale, and Peter R. Orszag
"New Estimates of the Budget Outlook:  Plus Ca Change, Plus C'est Meme Chose"
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 Daniel Shaviro                                                                                                        "What are We Talking About When We Talk About Budget Deficits?"  
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Commentator: Tim Muris

11:15 am-12:45 pm
Panel 5: Assessing the Costs of Government Action
Howell Jackson
"Counting the Ways: The Structure of Federal Spending"
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D. Roderick Kiewiet
"The Regulatory Budget"

Commentator: Matt Spitzer and Jagadeesh Gokhale

12:45-1:45 pm
Lunch

2:00 pm-4:00 pm
Panel 6: Constitutional Issues in Budgeting
John Harrison
"New Property, Entrenchment, and the Fiscal Constitution"

Jack Goldsmith
"The Appropriation Power and the Commander in Chief Power"

Richard Briffault
"Courts, Constitutions, and the Fisc: Some Recent Experiences from the States"

Commentator: Daryl Levinson

Organizers

Elizabeth Garrett, University of Southern California, Gould School of Law
egarrett@law.usc.edu

Howell Jackson , Harvard Law School
hjackson@law.harvard.edu

Elizabeth Graddy, University of Southern California, School of Policy, Planning, and Development
graddy@usc.edu

 

For further information, contact:
Betsey Hawkins, Program Manager
bghawkin@ usc.edu