Declining Fiscal Democracy: Understanding the “Pig in the Python”

Published on
February 10th, 2020
Duration
31 minutes

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38

Declining Fiscal Democracy: Understanding the “Pig in the Python”

The Expert View ·
Featuring Eugene Steuerle

Published on: February 10th, 2020 • Duration: 31 minutes

C. Eugene "Gene" Steuerle, co-founder of Urban Brookings Tax Policy Center, has studied the intersection of demographics, the economy, and public policy for 30 years. He joins Real Vision to break down the demographic trends that have converged to create "a decline in fiscal democracy." Steuerle talks about the impact of the baby-boomer "pig in the python" and reveals how that phenomena has forced the government to focus spending on health care, social security, and interest payments. Finally, he explains why millennials will demand "generational democracy" and the potential political implications of the intergenerational conflict to come. Filmed on February 4, 2020 in Washington, D.C.

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Transcript

Chapters

  1. 00:01:33
    What demographic issues are the United States facing?
  2. 00:05:23
    Can Millennials be the solution to the ‘pig in the python’ problem?
  3. 00:06:49
    How have education and women in the workforce affected demographics?
  4. 00:08:39
    What is declining fiscal democracy?
  5. 00:12:28
    How do the U.S. demographics compare to the rest of the world?
  6. 00:15:02
    What type of country is the best and worst positioned demographically?
  7. 00:15:37
    What is the correlation between economic vitality and declining fertility rates?
  8. 00:16:41
    How do more elderly workers impact the economy?
  9. 00:19:08
    How does delayed retirement affect new workers?
  10. 00:20:35
    Will Millennials demand more “Generational Democracy?”
  11. 00:23:54
    What are the political implications of generational conflict?
  12. 00:27:36
    What are potential policy solutions?

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