Dealing with the Economic Crisis, Immigrant voting power and their role in the economy, Youth Voting, Massachusetts Health Plan

Dealing with the Economic Crisis: A few key reports this week on the financial crisis and what government should do in response:

• The false fiscal dilemma- the Economic Policy Institute argues for another federal stimulus package, explaining why alarmists worried about government debt are ignoring the fact that debt as a percentage of gross domestic product is actually far lower than most historical standards.  An Economic Snapshot emphasizes that tax cuts for the wealthy are far less effective than expanded spending on food stamps unemployment insurance in immediately pumping money back into the economy.
• In the same vein, in IOUSA Not OK: An Analysis of the Deficit Disaster Story in the Film IOUSA, the Center for Economic and Policy Research debunks claims that the United States is falling off a debt-driven cliff if the government doesn't cut spending.  In fact, it is rising health care costs, not government deficits, that threaten family budgets, while government spending during a recession is the best way to make the economy grow to shoulder future social costs.
• Take a Walk on the Supply Side: Tax Cuts on Profits, Savings, and the Wealthy Fail to Spur Economic Growth- a report by the Center for American Progress and the Economic Policy Institute highlights the failure of tax cuts for the wealthy as an economic prescription and the intellectual collapse of the justification for "supply side" economics.

On immigrant voting power and their role in the economy, a few key reports:

• The New American Electorate: The Growing Political Power of Immigrants and Their Children - the American Immigration Law Center highlights the growing political clout of naturalized citizens, with new Americans making up nearly 9% of registered voters, a jump of 60% from since 1996.
• Hispanic Settlement in the New Century - the Pew Hispanic Center documents how Latinos have accounted for half of population growth in the U.S. since 2000.
• Uneven Progress: The Employment Pathways of Skilled Immigrants in the United States- the Migration Policy Institute highlights a "brain waste" problem where 1 in 5 college-educated immigrants are stuck in unskilled jobs or unemployed because of credentialing or language-barrier hurdles that deprive the U.S. economy of human capital that could help us in global competition.

Youth and Voting: A couple of updates on the rising youth vote:

• The Young and the Faithful- a new survey commissioned by Faith in Public Life finds that young Catholics -- defined as between ages 18 to 25 -- are far more progressive in their voting patterns than older Catholics, while younger Evangelicals have far more progressive views on certain values issues such as same-sex marriage and support for active government compared to older evangelicals.
• State Voter Registration and Election Day Laws- CIRCLE highlights how different rules, from early voting to election day registration, is effecting youth voting

Massachusetts Health Plan:  Who Gained the Most Under Health Reform in Massachusetts?- this report by the Urban Institute finds that lower-income and younger adults and minority groups had the greatest gains in insurance coverage under the state health insurance reform plan. An accompanying report finds that the quality of coverage for those already with insurance has also improved.

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