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TTR wants you to know EVEN MORE about health care reform, so we've got a report on that. We've got two reports on public opinion in the Middle East to highlight President Barack Obama's visit there later this week, and we've got a report on Web 2.0 and transparency in the new administration. We're also happy to introduce our newest intern, Marie Diamond. On to the knowledge:
- The economics of health care [PDF]. The administration's most comprehensive economic case for health care reform comes in this report by Christina Romer, the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, and her team. The report focuses on the spending side, showing how health spending impacts the budget, GDP, personal income and unemployment, although it notes the economic benefits of better overall health. See the graph above for the effects of potential cost-cutting, and check out former TAPster Ezra Klein dissecting the report at his new blog. -- TF
- Public opinion in the Arab world. [PDF] New numbers from the recently released University of Maryland/Zogby International Opinion Poll show shifting attitudes to the United States. The annual survey on Arab public opinion has used the same questions for the last seven years, and the changes since Obama took office are surprising. After a few weeks of the new administration, 59 percent described their attitude toward American policy in the Middle East as “somewhat hopeful” or “very hopeful.” The percent of respondents who characterize their overall attitude toward the United States as “unfavorable” has gone down from 59 percent a year ago to 34 percent today. Not including Egypt, a whopping 60 percent of respondents register having a “somewhat positive” or “very positive” view of President Obama. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton did not fare as well: Only 22 percent had a “somewhat favorable” attitude towards her. -- MD
- Middle East Youth Bust. [PDF] The Middle East Youth Initiative makes the case for reforming and stimulating Middle Eastern job markets for a rising generation. With a record high of 32 percent of the population aged between 15 and 29, governments in the region should see the current global recession as a wake-up call to effectively prioritize job creation for previously marginalized young people. The Initiative recommends, among other things, the promotion of better skill development at universities, restructured hiring policies, and improved public works programs. -- AS
- White House web woes. [PDF] The Center for American Progress outlines the challenges the administration faces as it tries to apply the technologies used by the famously tech-savvy Obama campaign to the federal government. The paper identifies six key legal and policy issues that will have to be addressed before Web 2.0 technologies can be used effectively for WhiteHouse.gov and federal agency Web sites. Privacy tops the list, followed by disability access, security concerns, and questions about whether use of such technologies constitutes an advertisement for them (regulations prohibit government Web sites from endorsing any product or service). -- MD
-- TAP Staff
