The current economic slowdown has taken its toll on state budgets across the country and Pennsylvania is no exception. Policy makers in the state face a myriad of budgetary problems and only painful or unpopular solutions remain. Unfortunately, state policy makers rarely have time to reconsider their overall fiscal systems to prevent the underlying problems that caused the current crisis from re-emerging in the future. This course will give a background on state budgetary issues from a variety of perspectives.

As healthcare costs continue to rise across the nation, there is growing concern that the number of people without access to affordable care may rise. Unfortunately, while everyone agrees a problem exists, few agree on a solution. This course will provide policymakers with a framework for understanding the rules and incentives of the current health care system and how that system might be changed to address the problems of cost, access and coverage.

Reception to launch the Capital Campus Pennsylvania program. Policy makers from around Harrisburg are invited to attend and learn about the new program.

By providing an economic framework for understanding infrastructure spending decisions, this course brought to light some of the unseen consequences associated with large-scale infrastructure improvements and offer simple but important tools for evaluating projects of such magnitude.

This course for California policymakers and staff will explore why investment decision making in the public sector is different from investment decision making in the private sector, and which policies California might pursue to promote sustained prosperity.

Last year California garnered national attention with the passage of AB32 - a landmark greenhouse gas reduction bill that sets new standards for emissions in California. As policy makers now begin to implement AB32, what challenges could they face? What issues could California encounter in the future? What should California hope to achieve from AB32? Please join Dr. Frank Wolak, professor at Stanford University, to discuss the realities, challenges, and opportunities found in AB32.

On September 21, 2007, Capital Campus California will host a unique discussion on the role of finance and governance in reforming California's education system.  Participants will hear from leading academics and policy analysts on what California can do to reform education in the next year.

Bruce Yandle of Clemson University will discuss the challenge California faces during this transformation and how it compares to other states in the Union. He will also share strategies California policy makers might pursue to preserve and enhance economic growth while ensuring opportunities for greater prosperity for all Californians.