Room for Debate (NY Times)

As he tries to reach a broad agreement with Congress on taxes and spending, President Obama has raised the possibility of cutting Social Security benefits. But a Congressional Budget Office report has said that Social Security's financial problems could be resolved if we eliminated the cap on income that is taxed for the program (currently $113,700 a year), without raising the limit on benefits.

Is that the fairest way to solve Social Security's problems?

Responses:

Tap the Wealthy to Support a Program for All
Theda Skocpol, professor of government

Don't Raise or Eliminate the Cap
Andrew G. Biggs, American Enterprise Institute

An Affordable Step for a Vital Program
Heather Boushey, Center for American Progress

More Revenue, but Less Political Support
James Lee Wetzler, former New York tax commissioner

The Only Path for Elderly Citizens
Dorothy A. Brown, tax law professor, Emory

A Modest Rise Is Fine, but It's Not a Panacea
C. Eugene Steuerle, Urban Institute

As debate begins in the Senate on the newly released comprehensive immigration bill, which removes the threat of deportation and provides a path toward U.S. citizenship, discussion is likely to focus on how this legislation will benefit or hurt the economy. Some conservatives have joined with liberals in saying that expanded immigration will increase growth and even reduce the federal budget deficit. But is that true? How realistic is that scenario?

Responses:

Legalized Workers Earn More and Spend More
Marshall Fitz, Center for American Progress

'More' Is Not Always Better
Jessica Vaughan, Center for Immigration Studies.

Health and Age of Immigrants Matter
Marta Tienda, professor of sociology and demography, Princeton University

People Are an Asset, Not a Liability
Grover Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform

Better Living Standards
Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney, and The Brookings Institution

Even with marriage in the news this spring, it's easy to forget that it comes at a price: the “marriage penalty" hits many couples on tax day. Federal tax rates generally discourage dual-income couples from getting married, and encourage single-earner couples to marry.

Does this mixed message make sense? Is there a better approach?

Responses:

Don't Let Taxes Warp Our Decisions
Will Wilkinson, blogger, The Economist

Be Careful Not to Hurt the Poor Even More
Joan Entmacher, National Women's Law Center

Get Rid of the Penalty
Melissa Murray and Dennis J. Ventry, and law professors

The Affluent Are Fine; Focus on the Poor
W. Bradford Wilcox, National Marriage Project

The Law Was Never Fair, and Is Now Just Silly
Edward J. McCaffery, author, "Taxing Women"

The recent disclosure by a journalistic consortium of 2.5 million leaked files from offshore bank accounts and shell companies provided stunning insight into the estimated $21 trillion held in secretive offshore tax havens, like the Cayman Islands.

Are these havens essential to a smooth-running world economy or just a tax dodge that benefits the rich and should be more tightly regulated? Can the U.S. government rein in their use?

Responses:

Powerful Opposition to Simple Reforms
Jack A. Blum, Former Senate aide

Tax Havens Allow Economic Vitality
Daniel J. Mitchell, Cato Institute

An Unneeded Gift to Corporations
Chye-Ching Huang, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Help the I.R.S. Do Its Job
David Cay Johnston, Columnist

Don't Fight It if It Helps Competition
Douglas Holtz-Eakin, American Action Forum

In a new duet with LL Cool J, above left, the country singer Brad Paisley, above right, pleaded for understanding between white Southerners and African-Americans. He hasn’t gotten a lot of understanding from critics, who’ve called it “the worst song ever,” “ponderous and lumpy” and “actually just racist,” but he has reinvigorated the debate about pop culture and racism.

Should we still be concerned about what one country song says? Is art really that influential?

Responses:

It's How We 'Do' Race in the Age of Obama
Eddie S. Glaude Jr., Princeton University

Never Forget
M.K. Asante, author, "It's Bigger Than Hip Hop"

Southern Music's Racial Ties
Mark Kemp, author, "Dixie Lullaby"

The Song Unites Us, With Laughter
Phoebe Robinson, comedian

Lyrics on the Mind
Alana Conner and Hazel Markus, and co-authors, "Clash!"

Why Elitists Hate This Duet
Will Shetterly, novelist

With New York City fighting lawsuits over the police department's stop and frisk program and surveillance of Muslims, the call for an independent inspector general for the department has become a heated issue in this year's mayoral campaign.

Should the New York Police Department, and other police departments, have such an office to review and oversee the fairness of its policies?

Responses:

An Assurance of Constitutional Safeguards
Faiza Patel, Brennan Center

Unnecessary and Undeserved
Heather Mac Donald, Manhattan Institute

What Do Police Fear? The Truth?
Paul Butler, Law professor and former prosecutor

The Beat Cop Would Suffer
Eugene O'Donnell, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Oversight Without Animosity
Merrick Bobb, Police Assessment Resource Center

Outside Authority Is Essential
John Burris, Lawyer

Last month Falkland Islanders voted overwhelmingly to remain a United Kingdom overseas territory. Meanwhile, Argentine leaders continue to stake claims to the Islands. Thirty-one years after British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher made the decision to defend the islands against an Argentine invasion, her death leaves a legacy that includes an uncertain future for the Falklands. Should the archipelago be returned to Argentina? Or could this be another Hong Kong moment for the United Kingdom?

Responses:

Respect the Islanders' Wishes
Gavin Short, lawmaker, Falkland Islands

Cooperate and Move On
Fabián Bosoer and Federico Finchelstein, Journalist and The New School

The Confidence Behind the Falklands
Klaus Dodds, University of London

When Oil Is Involved, Compromise Is Key
Terry Karl, Stanford University

Crucially Different From Hong Kong
Steve Tsang, author, "A Modern History of Hong Kong"

Gibraltar Represents a Road Map
José Moya, Barnard College

The U.S. military has long trained foreign troops to face threats in their countries and oppose common enemies. But such missions continue to be frustrating.

The results, as in Mali and Afghanistan, have frequently been disappointing, even shocking.

Is such training hopeless, even counterproductive, or are there effective ways to select and train allies to deal with a shared foe?

Responses:

American Assistance Is Spread Too Widely
John Norris, Center for American Progress

Well-Trained Locals Can Be Vital
Lawrence J. Korb, Georgetown University

Learning to Kill Terrorists Isn't Enough
Boubacar N'Diaye, The College of Wooster

A Wretched Record of Military Cooperation
Kate Doyle, National Security Archive

Colombia Shows the Value of Cooperation
Oscar Naranjo, Former Colombian police chief

Results Must Be More Rigorously Monitored
Lora Lumpe, Open Society Foundations

If you have children, you know that raising them requires punishing them and rewarding them. But what if parents let their kids decide their fate. Would it work?

Responses:

Let Them Choose Their Fate
Bruce Feiler, author, "The Secrets of Happy Families"

I'm Not Ready to Give Up My Control
KJ Dell'Antonia, blogger, Motherlode

Shouldn't We Prepare Them for Independence?
Bruce Feiler, author, "The Secrets of Happy Families"

I'm Sorry, but My Kids Will Find the Loopholes
KJ Dell'Antonia, blogger, Motherlode

The latest political corruption scandals in New York have reminded voters that Michael Bloomberg's tenure as New York City major has been been largely free of corruption. People comment on his independent streak, assuming it has kept him out of the machine politics that the city and the state are known for. But could it be Bloomberg's independent means that have kept him above the fray? Are wealthier politicians more beholden to their constituents and less corruptible?

Responses:

Rich Candidates Are Not the Solution
Sheila Krumholz, Center for Responsive Politics

There Is Very Little Corruption in U.S. Politics
Stephen K. Medvic, author, "In Defense of Politicians"

The Rich and Their Feedback-Free Bubble
Jack White, The Root

Self-Funded Campaigns Have Bad Track Records
Eric M. Uslaner, author, "Corruption, Inequality, and the Rule of Law"

It's Better to Focus on How Best to Stop Corruption
Meena Bose, Hofstra University