On March 8, 2022, D.C. Policy Center’s launch of the Alice M. Rivlin Initiative for Economic Policy & Competitiveness, was covered by The DC Line:
A new research project — named in honor of the late economist and DC advocate Alice Rivlin — will delve into the District’s competitive standing and ways to attract and support inclusive growth.
The Alice M. Rivlin Initiative for Economic Policy & Competitiveness, being undertaken by the D.C. Policy Center with Bailey McConnell as research director, will kick off by examining what led to the District’s growth over the past two decades. One specific topic: How is the pandemic reshaping demographic and economic trends here and in other urban areas, and what policies can bolster or hamper the local economy?
“The Rivlin Initiative’s work will be the first in-depth and objective assessment of the District’s competitive position and how this position shapes the city’s true potential for sustained economic growth,” Sandy Wilkes, chair of the D.C. Policy Center’s board of directors, said in a press release.
The project’s namesake was the founding director of the Congressional Budget Office and headed the Office of Management and Budget under President Bill Clinton. Rivlin, who died in 2019, was known for a longtime interest and expertise in local affairs as well. She led an extensive review of the District’s financial status in the early 1990s and later headed the District’s financial control board, known officially as the DC Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority.