The New New Deal. (cover story)

REFORMS; TAX reform; HEALTH care reform; PUBLIC welfare; FISCAL policy; SOCIAL security; PUBLIC finance; MEDICAID; HEALTH insurance; MEDICARE; RETIREMENT income; MEDICAL care costs; SOCIAL legislation; FINANCIAL crises; GOVERNMENT policy; PREVENTION

Argues that the Democratic Party in the United States needs to come up with a fiscal policy to save the nation from financial crisis. Presentation of a New Deal, a combination of Social Security reform, health care reform, and tax reform; Changes in U.S. demographics including the rise of the U.S. population that is over the age of 65; Discussion of the future of the fertility rate in the U.S.; Criticism of President George W. Bush's Social Security reform plan to divert contributions into individual retirement accounts; Costs of the Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits per retiree; Outline of a program that embraces Social Security reform, health care reform, and tax reform; Suggestion that the federal fiscal system should reduce some of the inequalities of income; Suggestion that there should be a system of universal health care that is affordable; Suggestion that retirees should be guaranteed a basic income of at least 40 percent of their pre-retirement earnings; Suggestion that the federal fiscal system should be based on the principle of intergenerational equity.