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April 1, 2013 – The Annual Executive Roundtable hosted by the Managerial Economics Program at Allegheny College will bring together experts to speak on “The Debt Alarm: Does America Face a Fiscal Crisis?” The roundtable, which is free and open to the public, will run from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Monday, April 8, in the college’s Ford Chapel.

Discussion will focus on the dimensions, underlying causes and likely impacts of current U.S. deficits and debt. The event will conclude with a Q&A session.

The roundtable will be moderated by Professor of Economics Don Goldstein, who also serves as co-director of the Managerial Economics Program at Allegheny College. Panelists will include: Gus Faucher, senior economist with PNC Financial Services Group in Pittsburgh; David J. Malone, president and CEO of Gateway Financial in Pittsburgh; Susan Offut, chief economist with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in Washington, D.C.; and Sean Snaith, a professor of economics and director of the Institute for Economic Competitiveness at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. Malone, Offut and Snaith are graduates of Allegheny College.

Few public-policy issues have generated as much controversy as the burgeoning U.S. deficits and debt, as dramatized by the recent “fiscal cliff” debate. Opinions on the related issues differ among economists, policymakers and politicians across the ideological spectrum.

Some argue that Federal debt and deficits pose long-term socioeconomic and political dilemmas for the United States and that current levels are unsustainable, use resources that would have been invested in America’s future, crowd out resources that are needed for investments in the economy, and reduce the ability of the United States to act decisively on global issues.

Others claim that debt and deficits arising from economic crisis and a sluggish recovery can actually expand the country’s future well-being by increasing current employment, investment and resource utilization.

The roundtable will focus on a number of key questions: What are the dynamics in the U.S. economy that have created the current deficit and debt levels? To what extent have the country’s monetary and fiscal policies contributed? What are the economic impacts of current levels of deficits and debt likely to be? What are the implications of the Federal deficits and debt for corporate America, especially its competitiveness in global markets? Is it possible to reduce Federal deficits and debt soon without undermining critical sectors of the economy, as well as the country’s values? How might the country’s deficit and debt levels be reduced in ways that don’t undermine the country’s capacity to generate employment-intensive and poverty-alleviating economic growth?

The Executive Roundtable is supported by the Earl W. Adams Endowment, established by Allegheny College trustee William Brown, Allegheny class of 1980, and his wife, Ellen Brown, in honor of Professor Adams.

For more information on the roundtable, contact Professor Steve Onyeiwu in the Department of Economics at Allegheny College at 814-332-3338.

About Allegheny College’s Program in Managerial Economics
The Managerial Economics track within the Economics major provides students with a broad foundation in economics and an especially strong grounding for careers in the managerial fields. The program builds on traditional Allegheny strengths like communication and critical thinking skills by familiarizing students with disciplines like finance, accounting and strategic planning. Management positions in corporate, governmental and nonprofit organizations are common paths for graduates.