Core Issues | Impact Summary
Core Issues
Peterson Philanthropies
Peterson Philanthropies brings together the nonprofit, nonpartisan work of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, the Peterson Center on Healthcare and Peterson Solutions Fund, engaging in a range of initiatives to strengthen the economic and democratic foundations of the United States, and build a brighter future for the next generation.
core issue
Fiscal Sustainability and Economic Growth
America is on an unsustainable fiscal path that threatens our economy, places a growing burden on future generations and undermines our leadership role in the world. If our long-term fiscal challenges remain unaddressed, our future economy will be diminished as confidence suffers, interest costs crowd out key investments in our future, and we risk higher inflation and a potential weakening of the dollar as the world’s reserve currency. Continued inability to address our rapidly rising debt will restrain opportunities for Americans to build a prosperous future. Financial markets are watching: all three major credit ratings agencies have downgraded U.S. credit below their top rating, reflecting a lack of confidence in America’s fiscal stability.
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To a Brighter Future
Stabilizing U.S. debt through policy solutions.
As America’s fiscal situation deteriorates with rising deficits year after year, the need to act becomes more urgent — and our commitment only grows stronger. We work with leading policy experts, elected officials, and the public to build the support needed to put America on a sustainable fiscal path. We educate and engage citizens and policymakers from a variety of perspectives through grantmaking, partnerships and research, with a significant focus on the next generation. Explore our impact summaries to learn more about how we are supporting new pathways to fiscal sustainability and economic growth.
core issue
High-performance Healthcare
Healthcare spending is 17 percent of the U.S. economy — $4.3 trillion — and continues to rise. Despite our massive spending on healthcare — more than twice the average of other wealthy countries — the United States consistently has worse health outcomes than other wealthy countries. This poor performance places a burden on families, businesses and federal and state budgets, which means fewer resources for everything else. We must seek ways to deliver higher quality care at a lower cost.
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Improving quality and lowering the cost of healthcare.
Our healthcare system is the most inefficient in the world, undermining not only our health, but also our economy and our federal and state budgets. We work to make higher-quality, more affordable healthcare a reality for all Americans. We collaborate with stakeholders across the healthcare industry, engage in strategic grantmaking, embrace innovative partnerships, and support needed research. Explore our impact summaries to learn how our work strengthens America’s health data infrastructure, informs and improves healthcare purchasing, and fosters innovative solutions that reduce costs and make care delivery more affordable and effective.
core issue
Effective democracy
A healthy democracy and policymaking process — rooted in trust, constructive engagement and institutional integrity — is foundational to advancing pragmatic solutions to our nation's challenges.
However, increasing polarization, reduced trust in elections, and growing levels of misinformation and misunderstanding have eroded the quality and effectiveness of the national conversation. These damaging trends threaten the essential exchange of ideas that is required for a successful democracy and high-functioning policymaking process.
To make progress on our nation’s fiscal and economic challenges, we must improve the effectiveness of our democracy and policymaking. We are committed to addressing these issues through work in two key areas: supporting secure, transparent and trustworthy election administration; and fostering informed and constructive collaboration toward effective, solutions-oriented policymaking.
Trusted Elections
Elections are the foundation upon which effective governance is built. However, increasing technological, financial, and political pressures have contributed to declining trust in election processes and outcomes. Decentralized and fragmented elections, governed by different policies across each of the states and administered by more than 10,000 local elected officials, create barriers to sharing evidence-based best practices and collaborating to address common challenges. Trustworthy elections must be not only secure and transparent but also supported by a professionalized and resilient infrastructure.
Effective Policymaking
Implementing pragmatic, common-sense policies that effectively address our nation’s key challenges requires informed, constructive and productive dialogue. As we confront deepening polarization and a weakened institutional capacity that make it difficult for elected officials to collaborate and solve problems, we must work to improve the national policy conversation. It is critical to our ability to solve national problems that we foster a shared understanding and a shared commitment to working together to find common ground.
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To a Brighter Future
Supporting a healthy democratic process.
We engage in a range of nonpartisan efforts to support effective democracy in the United States. Explore our impact summaries to learn how our grants and projects strengthen the leadership and governance capacity necessary for cross-partisan, solutions-oriented policymaking, and ensure secure, transparent and trusted elections.