American Enterprise Institute

“I think I see a path, as clear and direct as a ray of light...Nothing but harmony, honesty, industry, and frugality are necessary to make us a great and happy people.” — George Washington in a letter to the Marquis de Lafayette, 1789. Happy Independence Day 🇺🇸

📌 Wednesday, July 10 at 4PM ET— AEI’s Brian Miller will host a group of experts, many of whom served in prior presidential administrations and Congress, to explore how the presidential election will shape the future of health policy. Panelists: Brian Blase, President, Paragon Health Institute Charlie Katebi, Deputy Director, Center for a Healthy America, America First Policy Institute Ryan Long, Principal, BGR Group Nina Owcharenko Schaefer, Director, Heritage Foundation Center for Health and Welfare Policy

Thanks to all of our Summer Honors Program participants for another great session.

For the first time in decades, humanities fields are a growth sector in higher education, thanks to the creation of new academic units devoted to civic education in red and purple states across the country. Writing for the The Chronicle of Higher Education, Ben Storey and Jenna Silber Storey, who have spearheaded this movement at AEI, document this surprising revival and explain what it will take for these schools to be institutionally and intellectually successful.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell will receive the Irving Kristol Award, the highest honor bestowed by AEI, on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, in Washington, DC. “In the history of the United States Senate, there has been no more effective advocate for America, for freedom, for the proper role of the three branches of government and the correct relationship between the federal government and the states than Mitch McConnell,” said Robert Doar. “All of us at AEI are proud to honor this man of integrity and good judgment.” Said Leader McConnell, “I am honored to receive the Irving Kristol Award. This recognition in the name of an intellectual titan is doubly gratifying because it comes from an institution where his example of profoundly influential work continues to thrive.” https://lnkd.in/eBhh8_aC

“Nothing stops a bullet like a job.” So says Father Gregory Boyle, a Jesuit priest and the founder of Homeboy Industries, the world’s largest gang intervention and rehabilitation program. In May, Boyle was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. In my latest Project Syndicate column, I argue that his belief in the importance of work offers lessons for economic policymakers as they navigate policy debates and choppy economic waters, particularly the looming AI revolution. https://lnkd.in/eerPkPCj

On June 13 at the American Enterprise Institute, I gladly welcomed a panel of experts to discuss the evolution of the US power grid, and how it responds to increasing demand, rapidly changing technologies, and the introduction of clean and sustainable energy. The impressive panel of experts were Cornell Program in Infrastructure Policy (CPIP) Board member Jeff Weiss; Sean McGarvey, President of North America’s Building Trades Unions; Scott Aaronson; and Jaquelin Cochran. If you could not attend this event in-person or online, please watch a recording here: https://lnkd.in/eSgrD_34

What if this summer Americans sat in their front spaces, made them comfortable and inviting, and tried to connect with their neighbors and communities? Could doing so could actually help change our nation for the better? Sam Abrams asks the question in AEIdeas. ⛱ https://lnkd.in/gcdvbnPh

Rapid globalization and technological change have left too many Americans behind, but the failure of Bidenomics is a reminder that doubling down on industrial policy is not the solution. In a new essay for National Affairs, AEI economist R. Glenn Hubbard proposes a revitalized free-market policy agenda that could rebuild opportunity and prosperity for all Americans.

The entire thrust of the debate about generative artificial intelligence reflects an astonishing and unwarranted pessimism. My article in the current issue of National Affairs argues that recent advances in AI should generate optimism for, not fear of, the future. Yes, it will be disruptive. But workers in the United States have undergone multiple waves of disruptive technological change throughout history, and emerged better off as a result. Knowing that America's experiences with technology-driven disruption proved a net benefit should give us confidence about our ability to come out ahead of the coming AI revolution. Generative AI will continue to advance, and the world of 2034 will be different than the world of 2024 because of it. While we should be confident that AI will not cause substantial technological unemployment and will generate a net benefit for typical workers and households, we cannot be as sanguine about its disruptive effects. Public policy should smooth that disruption. The policy debate over generative AI is occurring at a high altitude because we are in the early stages of its development. But any policy changes should be guided by three broad principles, which I discuss in the article. The year 2023 will be remembered as a turning point in history. The previous year, humans and machines could not converse using natural language. But in 2023, they could. Like all technological revolutions, the AI revolution will be disruptive. But it will ultimately lead to a better world. To read the article, click here: https://lnkd.in/e_ATBCHT