05/17 Lunch: Olivier Blanchard, Economic Counsellor and Director, Research Department, IMF

Olivier Blanchard

A citizen of France, Olivier Blanchard has spent his professional life in Cambridge, U.S. After obtaining his Ph.D in economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1977, he taught at Harvard University, returning to MIT in 1982, where he has been since then. He is the Class of 1941 Professor of Economics, and past Chair of the Economics Department. He is currently on leave from MIT, as Economic Counsellor and Director of the Research Department of the International Monetary Fund.

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04/19 Lunch: Candida “Candi” P. Wolff, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Government Affairs, Citigroup, Inc.

What the Federal Elections Mean for the Banking Industry

In her presentation, Ms. Wolff will discuss the status of the federal elections and implications for the banking industry.  She will also provide an update on the regulatory reforms impacting the banking industry.
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Call for Papers: 2012-13 Conferences

SUBMISSION DEADLINES: May 15, 2012 and September 30, 2012*

The Society of Government Economists is proud to announce a call for papers for two conferences.

SGE Annual Conference in Washington, DC

Co-sponsored by the Economics Department of George Washington University

November 5-6, 2012

Washington, DC

Among the distinguished speakers at the conference will be Dr. Natwar Gandhi, the Independent Chief Financial Officer for the District of Columbia; and Professor Barry Chiswick, Chair of the Economics Department, George Washington University.  (The availability of several other distinguished speakers has yet to be confirmed at this time.)

and

SGE Sessions at the Annual Conference of the Allied Social Science Associations /

American Economic Association

January 4-6, 2013

San Diego, CA

Please download either a Word version or pdf version of the call for papers. There is no fee for submitting an application for paper presentations or for entire sessions. However, applications will only be accepted from current SGE members or from individuals purchasing a membership (for $25 per year) in their application. (Anyone can join SGE who shares our interest in the work of government economists.) Applications for conference papers and sessions may be made simultaneously to both conferences, by filling a single application form.  If the application is made to both, and is accepted to both, then it is expected that the presentations will be made at both conferences.

* The deadline for submitting proposed papers or sessions for the AEA conference is May 15, 2012; however, the deadline for SGE-only papers and sessions is September 30, 2012.

03/08 Lunch: William Gale, Brookings Institution: “The Fiscal Outlook and Options for Reform: No News is Bad News”

The presentation will discuss the federal fiscal outlook, the impacts of deficits on the economy, and options for fiscal reform.

Note Location: NAM  Offices, 1331 Pennsylvania Ave, Suite 600. Metro stop: Metro Center or Federal Triangle.

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SGE Elections – Call for Nominations

The Society of Government Economists will hold elections In the near future – exact date tbd. If you are interested in serving on the Board of Directors or know someone who may be, please contact any of the current Board members listed at http://www.sge-econ.org/about. Nominations are due on March 23.

SGE is an all-volunteer group and depends on the willingness of its members to continue on its mission: to support the professional development of government economists, and those who are interested in public policy economics, by providing them with research, publication, and professional communication opportunities. Serving on the Board and helping to obtain speakers, set up the annual conference, or otherwise support the organization is a great way to promote the cause of public policy economics.

The following positions are available:

  • President
  • Vice-President
  • Executive Secretary
  • At-large Board Member

Descriptions of the positions are available at http://www.sge-econ.org/about/bylaws/#articleVI.

02/16 Lunch: Thomas Palley, Associate of the Economic Growth Program of the New America Foundation in Washington. D.C

From Financial Crisis to Stagnation: The Destruction of Shared Prosperity and the Role of Economics

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01/19 Lunch: Chapin D. White, senior health researcher at the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC)

The Slowdown in Medicare Spending Growth: What Does it Mean?
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12/15 Lunch: Jeffrey Kling, Associate Director for Economic Analysis, Congressional Budget Office and Faculty Research Fellow, National Bureau of Economic Research

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11/17 Lunch: Professor David M. Driesen, Syracuse University College of Law

Financial and Climate Regulation:  Macro or Micro?

For many years now, experts have addressed both financial and environmental regulation through a microeconomic lens.  Under this approach, regulation is viewed as an analogue to a market transaction and its efficiency evaluated primarily through a cost-benefit analysis predicated on standard neoclassical assumptions. Read the rest of this entry »

10/20 Lunch: Joseph Farrell, Professor of Economics, UC Berkeley and Director, Bureau of Economics, Federal Trade Commission

“FTC Protecting Competition and Consumers:  Economics of Loyalty Pricing and Debt Collection”

UPDATE: Slides from the talk may be downloaded here: SGE Farrell slides October 2011

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