This report--a joint effort of the Federal Reserve's Community Affairs function and the Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program--examines the issue of concentrated poverty and profiles 16 high-poverty communities from across the country, including immigrant gateway, Native American, urban, and rural communities. Through these case…

This paper provides new evidence on the mechanisms by which school desegregation in large urban districts led to public enrollment declines for whites and increases for blacks. The authors demonstrate that white enrollment declines in southern central districts were primarily the product of out-migration while enrollment declines in districts…

College tuition and student debt levels have been increasing at a fast pace for at least two decades. These well-documented trends, coupled with an economy weakened by a major recession, have raised serious questions about whether the market for student debt is headed for a crisis, with many borrowers unable to repay their loans and taxpayers…

The pace of income growth since the 1970s has been slower for Pennsylvanians than in the 30 years following 1945. In addition to being slower, income growth since the 1970s has also been lopsided, with a small fraction of the highest-income households capturing most income growth in Pennsylvania. This report examines the extent to which these…

The booklet presents an historical narrative of banks and banking events leading to the establishment of the Federal Reserve System in 1914. The document is divided into three chapters. Chapter I discusses attempts to establish a bank before the 20th century, describing the creation of two central banks whose chapters were allowed to lapse, the…

On October 30, 2006, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and the Midwest Higher Education Compact held a conference on higher education and economic growth. Speakers included Michael Moskow, Richard Lester, Michael Luger, Sean Safford, Larry Isaak, Stefanie Lenway, Rod Shrader, Brian Fabes, Arthur Rothkopf, Randy Eberts, Gary Fethke, Victor…

Since the onset of the Great Recession, the U.S. labor market has been reeling. Public concern has largely focused on the unemployment rate, which rose to double digits and has since been stalled at just over 9 percent. This rate is unacceptably high, and macroeconomic policy efforts have been unsuccessful in bringing it down. The overall…

Designed for the general public and possibly suitable also for high school economics students, this pamphlet presents a brief overview of United States currency. Separate sections discuss the role of currency today, how the dollar has evolved, how the dollar got its name, laws concerning legal tender, types of currency in circulation, the meaning…

This article reports that the crisis besetting U.S. and world financial markets is hitting school districts hard, as they struggle to float the bonds needed for capital projects, borrow money to ensure cash flow, and get access to investment funds locked up in troubled institutions. Some schools districts depend heavily on borrowed money to pay…

The skilled labor force of the future (recent college graduates, or individuals aged 22 to 27 with a bachelor's degree or higher) is growing more slowly in New England than in the rest of the United States. Since 2000, this group has expanded by less than 9 percent in New England, roughly half the overall U.S. increase. The author suggests that…

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Reserve Banks administer more than two dozen regulations affecting a wide variety of financial activities. The regulations concern the functions of the central bank and its relationships with financial institutions, the activities of commercial banks and bank holding companies,…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) FY 2007 Funding Bill Signed Into Law: U.S. Department of Education to Receive Increase; (2) "The High Cost of…

The booklet lists and dispels 14 economic myths through a discussion of money, economic concepts, and the Federal Reserve System. The objective is to help secondary students or adults understand the economic system as related to money and banking. Topics focus on money, banking, gold and silver, credit, government role, financial concepts, and…

The document is designed to aid junior and senior high school teachers develop and implement economic education programs. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of money, banking, and the Federal Reserve System in the American economic system. The document is presented in six sections. Section I focuses on functions and forms of money. Section…

This report of a hearing before the Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy of the Committee on Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs, House of Representatives provides information on unemployment and prospects for employment. The report focuses on the role of the Federal Reserve and actions the administration and Congress must take to bring down…