The biggest culprits in the housing fiasco came from the private sector, and more specifically from a mortgage industry that was out of control.

The discussion in Washington has changed dramatically. I mean, it’s no longer a question of should we address entitlements – it’s no longer a question of do we need to reduce spending in the future.

The FHA’s success provides strong evidence that government can and should play a role in the nation’s mortgage finance system. It also demonstrates that although government intervention in the economy during the Great Recession was messy, things would have been a lot messier without it.

Our biggest challenge is to eliminate the popular perception that economists don’t have anything useful to say.

Yes. I don’t think it would be appropriate at this point to raise taxes on anyone, certainly not in 2011.

Past experience with fiscal austerity at home and overseas strongly suggests that it is best for the economy’s long-run performance to restrain government spending rather than raise taxes.

I’ve done work for both Democrats and Republicans.

It is hard to be enthusiastic about the economy’s prospects when house prices are falling: Households spend less, small business owners can’t use homes as collateral for loans and local governments are forced to cut jobs and programs as property-tax revenue disappears.

Lenders look at potential borrowers from many angles before extending credit: How much of its income will a household need to put into debt repayment? How large is the down payment? Does the borrower have a job with a stable income? What is the borrower’s credit score?

Housing was ground zero for the Great Recession. Between early 2006 and Obama’s inauguration in 2009, average house prices fell by a third across the country. In certain areas, including cities as diverse as Akron, Orlando and Las Vegas, house prices fell by more than half.