[NIFL-POVRACELIT:676] Urban Institute December Newsletter

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Date: Mon Dec 03 2001 - 19:22:19 EST


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What's New on the Urban Institute Web Site: www.urban.org
A monthly electronic update -- December 2001
Email paffairs@ui.urban.org with questions about any of these documents.

1. Social Security and Medicare
2. Taxes, Pensions
3. Nonprofit Sector
4. Social Sector Reform Abroad
5. Home Health Care Services in Washington State
6. Prisoner Reentry
7. Unemployment Insurance Forum
8. STOP Program Evaluation
9. Urban Institute December "in brief"
10. Subscription Information
11. Useful Urban Institute URLs

1. SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE

"Why the Politics of Social Security Could Improve the Status of the Poor"
(November 15, 2001) by Eugene Steuerle and Adam Carasso
The authors argue that, while antipoverty protection is one of the
fundamental principles undergirding Social Security, it does not prescribe
that all people who retire receive higher and higher benefits according to
some past, unfunded formula. Given the current shortfall in the program, it
does argue for allocating a larger share of resources to, say, the one-third
of the elderly with the lowest lifetime incomes and the greatest need.
http://www.urban.org/retirement/st/straight34.html
PDF Version http://www.urban.org/retirement/st/Straight34.pdf

"Social Security's Additional Dollars Could Buy Less Poverty" (October 30,
2001), by Eugene Steuerle and Adam Carasso
The authors describe three pieces of evidence suggesting that Social
Security's ability to meet one of its most fundamental tenets-alleviating
old-age poverty-has hit several roadblocks.
http://www.urban.org/retirement/st/straight33.html
PDF Version http://www.urban.org/retirement/st/straight33.pdf

"Lifetime Distributional Effects of Social Security Retirement Benefits"
(May 2001) by Karen Smith, Eric Toder and Howard Iams
This paper provides new evidence on how Old Age Survivors' Insurance
redistributes income among groups, based on simulations using the Model of
Income in the Near Term, a microsimulation model developed at the Social
Security Administration.
http://www.urban.org/retirement/retirement-benefits.html
http://www.urban.org/retirement/retirement-benefits.pdf

"One-Third at Risk: The Special Circumstances of Medicare Beneficiaries with
Health Problems" (September 2001) by Marilyn Moon and Matthew Storeygard
This report examines two categories of vulnerable Medicare
beneficiaries-people with cognitive problems and those with physical
ailments. In 1966, 33 percent of Medicare beneficiaries suffered from either
a cognitive or physical difficulty; and almost 13 percent had both cognitive
and physical problems.
Executive Summary:
http://www.urban.org/health/one-third-at-risk.html#execsum
PDF Version of Entire Report:
http://www.urban.org/health/one-third-at-risk.pdf

2. TAXES, PENSIONS

"First, Do No Harm: Designing Tax Incentives for Health Insurance" (May 21,
2001) by Leonard E. Burman and Amelia Gruber
This paper summarizes the latest descriptive data on health insurance
coverage for the nonelderly, discusses the economic arguments for health
insurance subsidies, and details the advantages and disadvantages of
subsidizing employer sponsored insurance.
http://www.urban.org/health/do_no_harm.html
PDF Version http://www.urban.org/pdfs/do_no_harm.pdf

"The Potential Effects of Cash Balance Plans on the Distribution of Pension
Wealth at Midlife" (August 2001) by Richard W. Johnson and Cori E. Uccello
This paper examines the impact of cash balance plans on the distribution of
pension benefits by comparing actual pension wealth for workers in defined
benefit plans with the wealth they would likely accumulate if they had
instead participated in cash balance plans.
Introduction and Background:
http://www.urban.org/retirement/cash_balance.html
PDF Version of Entire Report: http://www.urban.org/pdfs/cash_balance.pdf

3. NONPROFIT SECTOR

"Faith-Based Initiatives: Sacred Deeds and Secular Dollars" (July 2001) by
Carol J. De Vita and Sarah Wilson
This brief highlights the proceedings of a seminar attended by religious
leaders, government officials, social service providers, and researchers to
examine the political and social questions sparked by the White House
initiative to form government partnerships with faith-based organizations.
http://www.urban.org/periodcl/cnp/philanthropy_5.html
PDF Version http://www.urban.org/pdfs/philanthropy_5.pdf

"Charitable Giving in Illinois" (December 2000) by Linda Lampkin and Marie
Gantz
This report offers a snapshot of individual giving in Illinois.
PDF Version http://www.urban.org/pdfs/Charitable_Giving.pdf

"An Agenda for Action: Outcome Management in Nonprofit Organizations"
(October 2001) edited by Harry Hatry and Linda Lampkin
This report documents the consensus of a variety of nonprofit
representatives on how to promote outcome measurement by nonprofit service
providers and use the resulting information to better inform management of
the programs.
Introduction: http://www.urban.org/nonprofit/ActionAgenda.html
PDF Version of Entire Report  http://www.urban.org/pdfs/ActionAgenda.pdf

4. SOCIAL SECTOR REFORM ABROAD

"Strengthening Local Administration of Social Assistance in Russia"
(November 2001) by L. Jerome Gallagher and Raymond J. Struyk
This study examines how amenable local program administration is to improved
targeting and more progressive program administration. The authors present
an analysis of the results of assessments of two pilot programs implemented
in two Russian cities in 2000-2001.
http://www.urban.org/centers/iac/russia_soc-assis.html
PDF Version http://www.urban.org/pdfs/russia_soc-assis.pdf

5. HOME HEALTH CARE SERVICES IN WASHINGTON STATE

"Home and Community-Based Services for Older People and Younger Persons with
Physical Disabilities in Washington" (June 2001), by Joshua Wiener
This paper analyzes the home and community-based service system for older
people and younger adults with physical disabilities in Washington, focusing
on the state administrative structure, eligibility and assessment, case
management, services covered by Medicaid and other programs, cost
containment, and quality assurance.
http://www.urban.org/health/home-services.html
PDF Version: http://www.urban.org/pdfs/home-services.pdf

6. PRISONER REENTRY

"Prisoner Reentry Seen Through a Community Lens," (August, 2001) address by
Jeremy Travis
Travis argues that the nation's punishment policies have significantly
weakened the capacity of communities to provide a healthy environment for
families, provide jobs for young and old, and sustain a vibrant civic life.
For this reason, the issue of prisoner reentry is an issue that falls
squarely within the agenda of community builders.
http://www.urban.org/community/prisoner-reentry-speech.html
PDF Version: http://www.urban.org/pdfs/prisoner-reentry-speech.pdf

7. UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE FORUM

"Unemployment Insurance: Its Role and Adequacy as Layoffs Increase" (October
2001), Urban Institute forum highlights
With the September 11 terrorist attacks decimating whole sectors of the
already weakened U.S. economy, the attention of Congress and the policy
community has increasingly turned to the plight of the unemployed. Issues
and policy options were explored at a forum featuring national unemployment
insurance experts.
http://www.urban.org/news/events/UI/index.html

8. STOP PROGRAM EVALUATION

"Evaluation of the STOP Formula Grants to Combat Violence Against Women:
2001 Report" (September 2001) by Martha R. Burt, Janine M. Zweig, Cynthia
Andrews, Ashley Van Ness, Neal Parikh, Brenda K. Uekert and Adele V. Harrell
The evaluation is the latest in a multi-year Urban Institute evaluation of
the grant initiative.
PDF Version: http://www.urban.org/pdfs/VAWA_2001.pdf



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