Search results

If one dives deeply into the statistics, the American Dream is actually quite alive and well. In his provocative book, The Myth of American Inequality, former U.S. senator Phil Gramm argues that the facts reveal a very different and better America than the one currently described by policy advocates across much of the political spectrum.

How do we describe the Republican Party today, and what are the dynamics that will shape its future?

In their new book, co-authors and Stanford professors Rob Reich and Mehran Sahami argue that big tech’s obsession with optimization and efficiency has sacrificed fundamental human values. In this conversation, they outline steps we should take to change course and renew democracy.

Join John Hamre, CEO of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, for a dynamic exploration of the transformational forces that will shape the global community throughout the 21st century. Unpacking critical mega-trends like global demographics, water stress and food security, the energy transition, technological disruption, and geopolitics, Hamre examines the fa...

Journalist Tom Friedman reflects on 28 years of reporting, and renowned architect David Adjaye shares how he approaches the design of physical spaces — and how those spaces have the power to influence everything around us.

With the dream of the Oslo Accords long in the rear-view mirror and no prospect of an agreement between Israelis and Palestinians ahead, is it time to give up on the two-state solution?

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...

From Washington to Biden, presidents have changed America — and the world — for both better and worse. If the American presidency is the ultimate test of leadership, what does it take to succeed as president, and how can we pick better ones?

Even at a time of intense partisan polarization, it is still possible to get things done in Washington. Hear from Representative Jason Crow (D-CO) and Representative Tony Gonzales (R-TX), co-chairs of the House For Country Caucus, about the work they are doing on behalf of all Americans.

The generative artificial intelligence genie is out of the bottle. When we look back 30 years from now, what will we be able to point to that we got right?

Some research suggests that 60 percent of American voters want a new political party. With extremists on either side of the aisle hobbling the government’s ability toward the kind of forward change that most citizens might agree on, is it time to consider a third path forward?

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?

June brings the end of the Supreme Court term and, once again, a historically low number of decisions — but those decisions have a tremendous impact on the lives of Americans. Our stellar panel will unpack the Court’s rulings and explore what they and recent ethics controversies might mean for ongoing debates about the Court’s legitimacy.

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...

NBCUniversal News Group recently announced the honorees for its prime-time special, “Inspiring America: The Inspiration List.” NBC News’ Tom Llamas brings this conversation featuring Americans making a difference to Aspen. The panel includes environmental and climate justice activist Catherine Flowers; Susan Burton, creator of the nonprofit A New Way of Life; and actor Joh...

The Colorado River Compact is 100 years old, and its guidelines for water use across the American West are about to expire. Facing drought, increased population, and disagreements on how to share the water, what policies and technologies could get a new agreement across the finish line? John Entsminger, Nevada’s lead negotiator for the Compact; Bidtah Becker, attorney with...

In this new Aspen Ideas format, all attendees gather each morning to kick off the day by exploring a current issue of deep complexity. The United States is an outlier in both gun ownership and gun violence, yet while there’s general agreement on the grim statistics, underlying causes and potential solutions are still very much debated. All parents want their children to...

Hostage-taking presents nations with a conundrum: How can governments bring their citizens home while also preventing further captures? The United States’s top hostage negotiator, a leading scholar, and a former hostage discuss navigating the difficult waters of hostage diplomacy.