With the economy emerging as a major issue in the upcoming presidential elections, progressive think tank Center for American Progress has released a timely and thought-provoking National Innovation Agenda: Progressive Policies for Economic Growth and Opportunity Through Science and Technology.

Key elements of CAP’s tech policy prescription:

• Tax incentives to spur investment in next-generation broadband networks and provide access to underserved urban and rural communities.

• A permanent ban on Internet access taxes to encourage consumer adoption.

• Additional spectrum to promote wireless broadband.

• Support for public-private state partnerships to accelerate broadband deployment.

CAP points to ConnectKentucky as a great example of innovative policy approaches, noting that the program “resulted in $500 million in private investment in Kentucky’s telecommunications infrastructure, over 400,000 additional households with broadband access, and a growth in broadband usage of 46 percent in the last two years.”

Continuing its policy leadership on Health IT matters, the CAP report also offers a strong endorsement of eHealth to the nation:

Health IT’s promise for improving administrative efficiency, facilitating national health goals, improving the processes of health care delivery and ultimately improving the quality of care places it at the center of our commitment to improving the value of health coverage for all Americans.

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