Is the U.S. Headed Toward Bankruptcy?

A little more than one year ago, the United States approached bankruptcy when Congress refused to raise the limit on the amount that the federal government could borrow. Finally, on August 2, 2011—just one day before the projected default—Congress passed and President Obama signed the Budget Control Act of 2011. more →

Mortimer Caplin Conference on the World Economy

The Miller Center’s annual Mortimer Caplin Conference on the World Economy brings together senior government officials, along with the best thinkers from the academy and the private sector, to discuss, debate, and deliberate over the most pressing issues facing the United States and the global economy.

• 2011 Conference: “Tax Reform, Deficit Control and Global Competitiveness”
• 2009 Conference: “Governing through Debts and Deficits”

Presidential Speech Archive

• Barack Obama, State of the Union Address, January 27, 2010
• George W. Bush, State of the Union Address, February 2, 2005
• Bill Clinton, State of the Union Address, January 27, 1998
• George H.W. Bush, Address to the Nation on the Budget, October 2, 1990
• Ronald Reagan, Address on the Program for Economic Recovery, April 28, 1981

Presidential Oral History Program

A selection of interviews on the budgeting, tax, and economic policy priorities of various presidents from those who assisted and advised them on those topics can be found below.

• Jimmy Carter Oral History Project: Interview with Charles Shultze
• Ronald Reagan Oral History: Interview with James Miller
• Ronald Reagan Oral History: Interview with Annelise Anderson
• George H.W. Bush Oral History: Interview with Michael Boskin

Presidential Recordings Program

Lyndon Johnson explains his plans for “cutting waste” through his fiscal policy in this December 1963 telephone conversation with Walter Heller, the chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors.

American President

The threat of depression is something many presidents must face during their time in office. Following his reelection in 1872, President Grant faced a fiscal challenge when the Panic of 1873 touched off a nation-wide depression. The economic downturn had many causes, including an economic depression in Europe, rapid industrial and agricultural growth, overexpansion of the railroads, and the effects of the Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War in Europe. Read more about the state of U.S. domestic affairs during Grant’s administration here.

Woodrow Wilson pushed for banking reform through the Federal Reserve Act of 1913, which established twelve regional reserve banks controlled by the Federal Reserve Board, a new federal agency whose members were appointed by the President. This new federal system could adjust interest rates and the nation’s money supply. Because it was authorized to issue currency based on government securities and “commercial paper” (the loans made to businesses by banks), the amount of money in circulation would expand or contract with the business cycle. Read more about Wilson's achievements in office here.

Miller Center Forums

Listen to these Miller Center Forums on the stability and vitality of the U.S. economy presented by public policy leaders from the academy, research institutions, and journalism.

• Peter L. Rodriguez, “The State of the U.S. Economy,” December 16, 2011.
• Alan Murray, “Election 2012 and Retooling the American Economy,” February 3, 2012.
• Robert Samuelson, “The Great Inflation and Its Aftermath: The Past and Future of American Affluence,” November 10, 2008.

Colloquia

The Miller Center Colloquia allows scholars to present their works-in-progress, and the speakers below shared their research on the debt crises occurring in the U.S. and internationally.

• David Freund, “Money Matters: Debt Markets and Growth Politics in the Modern United States,” April 6, 2012.
• E. Scott Adler, “Problem Solving in the 112th Congress: The Debt Crisis and Beyond,” November 18, 2011.
• Sonal Pandya, “Trading Spaces: The Politics of Foreign Direct Investment Regulation, 1970-2000,” May 3, 2010.