US fiscal crises - federal and state: what can Australia learn?

PLEASE NOTE: THE VENUE FOR THIS EVENT HAS CHANGED.
Crawford School of Public Policy | HC Coombs Policy Forum

Event details

Lecture

Date & time

Friday 14 February 2014
5.30pm–6.30pm

Venue

Acton Theatre, Level 1, JG Crawford Building 132, Lennox Crossing, ANU

Speaker

Edward DeSeve.

Contacts

Kerrie Glennie
02 6125 2238

The fiscal situation in the United States continues to be fragile. Despite the economic recovery, the federal government still features an annual deficit of more than 4 per cent of GDP. Deficits are projected to continue over the next 10 years and add more than US$6 trillion to the US federal debt held by the public. At the same time, states in the US are seeing only modest improvements in their revenues which are not yet up to the levels experienced before the global financial crisis. Federal funds are being cut to both states and localities in an effort to balance the federal budget.

Mr DeSeve has met fiscal challenges at all levels of US government. As Special Advisor to President Barack Obama, he oversaw the successful implementation of the US$787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to address the effects of the Great Recession. During the Presidency of Bill Clinton, he was Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget and helped balance the US budget for the first time in more than a decade. For the City of Philadelphia, he solved liquidity crises and balanced the budget. Most recently, he served as Executive Director of the Ravitch Volcker, ‘State Budget Crisis Task Force’. Currently, he is an advisor and lecturer for Brookings Executive Education at the Brookings Institution. He is also a Senior Advisor to the international consulting firm Oliver Wyman.

He is the author of numerous publications including The Presidential Appointees’ Handbook (Brookings 2009). At the National Academy of Public Administration he served as Vice Chair and co-authored its first Fiscal Future Report, warning of the coming federal deficits. He was awarded the Kenneth Howard award for career public service in financial management by the American Society of Public Administration.

In this public lecture, his only public speaking engagement in Canberra, Mr DeSeve will share his insights and experience in economic leadership and take questions from the audience.

Updated:  19 March 2024/Responsible Officer:  Crawford Engagement/Page Contact:  CAP Web Team