USA
Culture
Global conflicts and health crises have put into stark relief deeply-ingrained gender roles in society. Yet the past years have also seen record-high numbers of women running for political office and holding executive positions in Fortune 500 companies. Where are we seeing progress, and where do we still desperately need to make headway? How is feminism adapting to tumultu...
The world seems to be moving and evolving faster than ever before, and democratic ideals are under threat in many countries around the globe. New York Times columnist and journalist Thomas Friedman has spent his career learning how to see things from many sides and identify the seams in the fabric of society. He believes we’re at a moment in time when it’s critical that we...
Of course, Black history shouldn’t just be a month-long nod on our yearly calendar — it is inextricable from American history and fundamental to the very soul of our nation and our past, present, and future. We’ve put together a collection of talks, podcasts, and interviews from Aspen Ideas speakers that celebrate Black joy, community, and genius while grappling with the i...
Most Americans today would agree that the dream of supporting a family and living a good life on one full time salary is not available to vast numbers of people. Wages have not risen at the pace of profits over the last several decades, and work with benefits is far from guaranteed for many. In his 2023 book, “Ours Was the Shining Future: The Story of the American Dream,”...
How do we describe the Republican Party today, and what are the dynamics that will shape its future?
In this new Aspen Ideas format, all attendees gather each morning to kick off the day by exploring a current issue of deep complexity. For decades, American policy regarding those who reach our borders has been the subject of intense political disagreement, reflecting economic realities and cultural divides. What would a policy look like that meets both our labor and se...
We don’t always know how to express it, but many of us feel it: There’s something wrong with America today. The mood is tense. More Americans say they won’t have children because of climate change and other future catastrophes. But are things really as bad as they seem? Is decline something we need to accept—or is there a case for a new optimism?
The designers of our democratic republic created a political system and institutions intended to avoid concentrated power, mob rule, and to defuse factions. Is the America we live in today so different from theirs that only fundamental reform can fix what ails us?
If the true test of a great country is its capacity for self-renewal, the United States stands apart. So explains Army veteran and former Bridgewater CEO David McCormick in his new book — join him as he discusses his plan for a reinvigorated America. (Book signing to follow.)
The American economy motors on, with unemployment near record lows, incomes outpacing rising prices, the debt default averted, the stock market showing surprising strength, and the much-predicted recession still not in sight. Using the charts he brings to MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and his New York Times op-eds articles, Steven Rattner will attempt to square why, then, American...
Language — the words we use — plays a vital role in framing and shaping public discourse, influencing our social and cultural perceptions and interactions. A linguist and cultural observer examine the conflicts that arise when words themselves are denigrated, weaponized, or, in some extreme cases, banned.
In a time of historically low trust in leaders and institutions, how can leaders build trust across lines of difference, depolarize solutions, and not live in fear of cancel culture? What does it look like to lead effectively today and increase the health and economic well-being of communities, families, and children?
Antisemitic incidents are on the rise in the United States, leaving Jewish communities feeling vulnerable — a sentiment both new and sadly familiar. Among the responses is the first ever U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, released by the White House, advocating a whole-of-society approach because all of us are affected by hate and it takes all of us to fight i...
America has a crisis of trust, but we are not hopelessly divided. David Brooks, founder of the Aspen Institute’s Weave: The Social Fabric Project, and Frederick Riley, its executive director, discuss how this nation can rebuild trust — from the ground up and around a shared sense of belonging — and how you can take part. (This session features small group exercises that bu...
Much of the public discourse around race and our national narrative is, perhaps understandably, filled with recrimination, but if Americans are to remain a nation, we must find a way to reckon with history and chart a path forward. Join two renowned historians for a conversation about how we might do just that.
In this new Aspen Ideas format, all attendees gather each morning to kick off the day by exploring a current issue of deep complexity. Debates over the content of our historical narrative and cultural values have Americans of differing ideologies engaged in heated battle, with educators and students caught in between. Meanwhile, have we failed to meaningfully educate o...
Drawing on decades of writing about the economy for The New York Times, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer David Leonhardt offers a preview of his forthcoming book and examines the past century of American history, from the Great Depression to today’s Great Stagnation, in search of an answer.
E.O. Wilson said, “We have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions, and godlike technology.” How should technology be designed and controlled so it improves our lives, economy, and culture without losing individuality, privacy, and trust in society and each other? Presented by Allstate
Americans of all political leanings and ideological persuasions can agree on at least one thing: In this era of hyperpolarization, we don’t know how to talk about the things on which we most vehemently disagree. Experts in conflict resolution and constructive dialogue share their insights into how things might improve.
David Rubenstein brings his love of American history to life in a new eight-part series on PBS, “Iconic America,” a fascinating look at important national symbols including the Gadsden Flag, the cowboy, and the Statue of Liberty. In this fast hour, Rubenstein reflects on how these icons came to be, how they’ve evolved over time, and what they mean today.