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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.
The forces of division have been tearing America's social fabric for decades. But a new coalition of community builders with a new set of beliefs is rising to turn things around. Here's how you can help. Underwritten by Nestlé Waters North America.
Debating immigration is a perennial favorite in presidential elections, perhaps never more so than in 2016, when border walls and banning Muslims push the boundaries of what proposals are considered acceptable to American voters. The artists on this panel vary in their mediums and perspectives, but they all contend with the immigrant experience. Guided by Eric Liu, we have...
How do we develop scalable policy solutions that will empower families throughout the United States to rise out of poverty and achieve better life outcomes? How we can improve children’s opportunities in communities that currently offer limited prospects for upward income mobility? Award-winning Harvard scholar Raj Chetty, whose research focuses on equality of opportunity...
Our culture and policies have revolved around the myth of the "dead-beat dad,” but in many cases, low-income fathers face serious legal, economic, and other systemic obstacles in engaging with their kids as the dads they would like to be. Yet research shows that children with fathers actively engaged in their lives are more likely to perform better in school and meet key d...
More than $2.7 trillion worth of food, medical products, and tobacco, representing 20 percent of every dollar spent by US consumers, is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Always in the public eye, and often summoned to explain its actions to Congress, the FDA is as likely to be lauded as lambasted for its swift authorization of COVID-19 vaccines, its deci...
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...
Javier Zamora’s migration journey took him from El Salvador to the United States by foot at age nine, while Jamie Ford’s great-grandfather emigrated from China to Nevada to mine. Both authors reflect on the ways in which migration has shaped them, unpacking what it means to be American and exploring the meaning of home.
Amazing discoveries are happening in the garages and high school science classes of young pioneers. A 17-year-old invented color-changing stitches, dyed with beet juice, to provide early warning signs of infection. A Time Magazine “Kid of the Year” is building a device to detect contaminants in the water supply and using AI to call out cyberbullying. Another teenager devel...
As the 2016 presidential election approaches, the economy is a tale of two realities. On one hand, employment numbers, housing prices, and corporate profits have rebounded substantially since President Obama took office nearly eight years ago at the height of the financial crisis. At the same time, the nature of work is shifting, leaving many behind, long term unemployment...
Meet Shimon, the marimba-playing robot that can improvise with fluency and skill exceeding that of most professional musicians. This atypical frontman’s band isn’t your average performance group either: Shimon’s band of humans hails not from a conservatory, but from the Center for Music Technology at Georgia Tech. And did we mention the drummer lays the rhythm with a bioni...
Entrepreneur Steve Case and "Hillbilly Elegy" author-turned-venture-capitalist J. D. Vance have taken their investment mission on a bus tour they’re calling “Rise of the Rest.” They are travelling around Middle America, identifying and rewarding entrepreneurs who exhibit the kinds of talent and ingenuity that many mistakenly believe only happens in Silicon Valley. What are...
In this new Aspen Ideas format, all attendees gather each morning to kick off the day by exploring a current issue of deep complexity. This year, the Supreme Court is once again considering the constitutionality of race-based affirmative action programs, and its ruling may have a profound impact on the makeup of America’s most selective colleges and universities. How sh...
Spend an hour with two of America’s best teachers, exploring the ups and downs of their experiences on the front lines of American education. What brought them to the classroom—and why did they stay? What do they wish parents and policymakers understood better about the life of a teacher? What’s changed the most about their jobs in the last few years? How do they focus on...
Whether it's their views on immigration, gun laws, or climate change, young people today are changing the face of politics. Are millennials and post-millennials becoming more progressive, or will they "grow into" conservative views? How might they change the Democratic 2020 primary? And how has their support for Trump changed since 2016? Kristen Soltis Anderson, Republican...
Ideas about living a moral life can be found in all cultures across time. In previous eras, education was meant to inculcate personal virtue and shape character. In centuries of religious teaching, moral behavior comes from God or some other deity. In more contemporary philosophy, where ideals for democracy, for example, embrace principled notions of liberty, equality, res...
Poverty is a powerful stressor that influences growth and development in children, and physical and mental health throughout adulthood. Science and imaging technology are making its impact visible, demonstrating how the socioeconomic disparities that flow from historical injustice alter brain structures. We’re also learning that social capital can be a protective layer aga...
Much has been written about the elections this year – about the candidates, their policies, their personalities. But there is another story of equal importance: about us. America rests on a structure of interlocking systems – an education system that would ideally produce a citizenry knowledgeable about civics and skilled at thinking critically about what they’re seeing...
Robert Mueller's final report left almost as many open questions as there were before he began his probe. At the same time, others argue that the president has been cleared, it’s time to move on, and any further probes should target the investigators and the media that they feel predetermined Trump’s guilt. What did Mueller really say in the report? Did the president commi...