August 3, 2020
Replace the Federal Student Loan System with an Income Share Agreement Program
Key Points Read the PDF. Introduction We hear a lot about how student loans are unaffordable for borrowers. That notion was central in the 2020 Democratic primary race, with Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) proposing to wipe away massive amounts of debt. Student loans—an oft-forgotten policy issue in days past—were addressed in…
May 4, 2020
How To Educate an American
In the years after A Nation at Risk, conservatives’ ideas to reform America’s lagging education system gained much traction. Key items like school choice and rigorous academic standards drew bipartisan support and were put into practice across the country. Today, these gains are in retreat, ceding ground to progressive nostrums that do little to boost the…
February 27, 2020
The American Dream Is Not Dead: A Book Event with Michael R. Strain
Event Summary On Thursday, AEI’s Michael R. Strain presented an overview of his book “The American Dream Is Not Dead: (But Populism Could Kill It)” (Templeton Press, 2020). In his opening presentation, Dr. Strain emphasized that the American dream still remains available to Americans despite populist agitations that suggest the opposite. In making his case,…
January 17, 2020
Rethinking Reentry
Policymakers and researchers have been searching for a solution to persistently high rates of recidivism for decades. While the number of incarcerated individuals under federal and state jurisdiction has decreased in recent years and is currently at a 10-year low, the United States still incarcerates more people per capita than any other nation. This level of incarceration has real consequences. By some estimates, nearly 70…
November 13, 2019
Work, Family, and Community
Abstract The contributions to this volume make clear that the social safety net in the United States is large, complex, and robust. In this reflection, we offer insights into the adequacy of the existing safety net to reduce material hardship and meet the future challenges facing this nation. Our perspective is broad and moves from…