Economist Claims Stimulus Plan Highjacked By Interest Groups

Barry Bosworth, the Senior Fellow in the Brooking Institute's Economic Studies Program, criticized provisions of the stimulus plan that were not intended for immediate economic relief during a panel discussion Thursday. Bosworth claimed that individual interest groups had capitalized on the crisis to push unrelated agendas. (0:28)

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Economist: Recession Coming To An End, No Thanks to Stimulus Plan

The recession may be coming to a close, but according to Barry Bosworth, the Senior Fellow in the Brooking Institute's Economic Studies Program, the stimulus plan may not be responsible. In Bosworth's judgement, the $787 billion measure to jumpstart the U.S. economy has been a disappointment.

"The problem with the stimulus program has been that it has taken too long to get it going. The crisis hit in mid September [of 2008], Congress never acted until the Spring, and then it takes a couple of months for the government agencies to get it set up," said Bosworth during a panel discussion at the Brookings Institute Thursday. (0:26)
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