Chair: Dimitri B. Papadimitriou, President, Levy Institute

Michael Förster, European Centre Vienna and OECD
Mathieu Lefèbvre, CREPP and University of Liège
Pierre Pestieau, University of Liège, CORE, CEPR, and Delta
“The Generosity of the Welfare State towards the Elderly”

Timothy Smeeding, Maxwell School, Syracuse University
Lars Osberg, Dalhousie University
Jonathan Schwabish, Partnership for New York City
Michael Eriksen and Joseph T. Marchand, Maxwell School, Syracuse University
“Income Distribution and Social Expenditures: A Cross-national Perspective“

Discussant: Amy Ellen Schwartz, New York University

Chair: Edward N. Wolff, Levy Institute and New York University

Herwig Immervoll, University of Cambridge and European Center Vienna
Horacio Levy, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona
Christine Lietz, University of Cambridge
Daniela Mantovani, University of Cambridge and Prometeia, Bologna
Cathal O'Donoghue, National University of Ireland, Galway, IZA, Bonn, and ICER, Turin
Holly Sutherland, University of Cambridge, University of Essex, and DIW Berlin
Gerlinde Verbist, University of Antwerp
“The Effects of Taxes and Transfers on Household Incomes in the European Union”

Irwin Garfinkel, Columbia University
Lee Rainwater, Harvard University
Timothy Smeeding, Maxwell School, Syracuse University
“Welfare State Expenditures and the Redistribution of Well-being: Children, Elders, and Others in Comparative Perspective”

Discussant: Marc Lee, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

Chair: Greg Hannsgen, Levy Institute

Edward N. Wolff, Levy Institute and New York University and Ajit Zacharias, Levy Institute
“An Overall Assessment of the Distributional Consequences of Government Spending and Taxation in the U.S., 1989 and 2000”

Leonard E. Burman, Urban Institute
William G. Gale, Matthew Hall, and Peter R. Orszag, The Brookings Institution
“Distributional Effects of Defined Contribution Plans and Individual Retirement Arrangements”

Discussant: Sourushe Zandvakili, University of Cincinnati

Chair: Diane Elson, Levy Institute and University of Essex

Ann Harding, Rachel Lloyd, and Neil Warren, NATSEM, Canberra, Australia
“The Distribution of Taxes and Government Benefits in Australia”

Kwang Soo Cheong, Johns Hopkins University
“Distributional Effects of Personal Income Taxation in Korea”

Discussant: Lars Osberg, Dalhousie University

Keynote Address: David Cay Johnston, New York Times
"The Stealth Tax"

Leon Podkaminer, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (WIIW)
“Distributional Effects of Evolving Spending and Tax Policies in Post-Socialist Poland”

Markus Jäntti, Abo Akademi University, Finland
“The Distribution of the Tax Burden in Finland, 1985-2001”

Discussant: Stephen Davies, Colorado State University

Chair: W. Ray Towle, Levy Institute

Harvey Cutler and Stephen Davies, Colorado State University
“The Impact of Local Government Decisions on the Distribution of Income”

Howard Chernick, and Paul Sturm, Hunter College, CUNY
“Redistribution at the State and Local Level: Causes and Consequences”

Discussant: Elissa Braunstein, Political Economy Research Institute (PERI), University of Massachusetts

Chair: Caren Grown, Poverty Reduction and Economic Growth Team, International Center for Research on Women

William R. Johnson, University of Virginia
“Are Public Subsidies to Higher Education Regressive?”

Barbara A. Butrica, Urban Institute
Howard M. Iams, Social Security Administration
Karen E. Smith, Urban Institute
“The Changing Impact of Social Security on Retirement Income in the U.S.”

Discussant: Teresa Ghilarducci, University of Notre Dame