The Free Lunch Has Still To Be

We May Be In A Rapidly Evolving International Financial System With All The Bells And Whistles Of The So-called New Economy. But The Old-economy Rules Of Prudence Are As Formidable As Ever. We Violate Them At Our Own Peril.

The Arts Develop Skills And Habits Of Mind That Are Important For Workers In The New Economy Of Ideas.

Developing Protectionism Regarding Trade And Our Reluctance To Place Fiscal Policy On A More Sustainable Path Are Threatening What May Well Be Our Most Valued Policy Asset: The Increased Flexibility Of Our Economy, Which Has Fostered Our Extraordinary Resilience To Shocks.

If We Are To Remain Preeminent In Transforming Knowledge Into Economic Value, America's System Of Higher Education Must Remain The World's Leader In Generating Scientific And Technological Breakthrough, And In Meeting The Challenge To Educate Workers.

A Decline In The National Housing Price Level Would Need To Be Substantial To Trigger A Significant Rise In Foreclosures, Because The Vast Majority Of Homeowners Have Built Up Substantial Equity In Their Homes Despite Large Mortgage-market Financed Withdrawals Of Home Equity In Recent Years.