Further Reading

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Our economy now faces the most serious crisis since the Great Depression. The financial crisis that was triggered by the bursting of the housing bubble has now spread to the real economy, and we face a sharp downturn that is spreading across the globe. A serious recession now seems unavoidable in the United States, as well as Europe and Japan. The developing world is already struggling with financial turmoil and economic decline. For the first time since the 1930s, we face a real risk of deep worldwide economic contraction.

Restoring economic growth will require a bold, multifaceted plan. This must begin with a recovery program for Main Street — substantial fiscal expansion to revive the real economy.

America grew up investing in its land and its people. Today, our post-World War II infrastructure is starting to decay, and so is the educational system that helped build our modern middle class. This report comprehensively examines our investment deficit. It documents yesterday’s achievements, today’s problems and tomorrow’s solutions.

Explains how increased public investment can stimulate the economy in the short-run and provide improvements in long-term production.

Examines the depressing effects of the slowdown in housing, the fallout from the subprime mortgage crisis, and the inter-connected problems of failing infrastructure and long-term climate change

For the past 15 years, deficit hawks have argued that addressing America’s fiscal challenges should take priority over our public investment needs; this article argues the opposite.

Argues that the era of asset price inflation — the housing and stock market bubbles — has masked a perilous hollowing out of public infrastructure, the key to sustained and equitable economic growth.

Makes the case for a major, smart, strategic program to revitalize the nation's economy by investing in infrastructure.

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The CSIS Commission on Public Infrastructure, established in 2004 under the leadership of former U.S. Ambassador to France Felix G. Rohatyn, seeks to raise public awareness and dialogue on the subject of America’s mounting infrastructure problems, and to help lead the country towards making more innovative investments in public infrastructure.