Issue No. 4, Fall 2017 Enterprise Report Restoring Liberty, Opportunity, and Enterprise in America Free Enterprise’s Future By AEI President Arthur Brooks For nearly 80 years, AEI has supplied leaders in government, policy, and business with world-class ideas. Our scholars have provided the intellectual foundations for major reforms in areas ranging from welfare policy to military strategy, and we continue to influence the national conversation in ways that will expand the freedom and potential of every individual. But we know it’s not enough to supply policy research that addresses our country’s most pressing problems. Unlike other organizations that deal only in the supply of ideas, AEI is also dedicated to actively cultivating demand for our work. We do this by investing time and resources in the project of forming future leaders, building communities of influential men and women who share our vision for America’s future and are hungry for intellectual formation. In this newsletter, you will read about several of the ways AEI is cultivating leaders at all stages and in all walks of life. And I am confident that all of these men and women come away from their AEI experiences well equipped to advocate for free enterprise throughout their professional lives. “For debate to be productive—for good ideas to get the hearing they deserve— our civil discourse must be refounded in a genuine moral consensus and a spirit of warmheartedness. We need leaders with high standards for empirical rigor and deeply moral principles behind their work.” Arthur Brooks AEI President and Beth and Ravenel Curry On college campuses, our Academic Programs team is doubling down on leadership training Scholar in Free Enterprise and planning events that feature AEI scholars. Having already reached hundreds of universities and thousands of students, our team continues to invest in a new generation of leaders that will be equipped to passionately and persuasively articulate the case for free enterprise—something that is urgently necessary inside academia, as recent events have made clear. Here in Washington, AEI is also investing in intellectual leadership through new programs for mid-career scholars, experts, and practitioners. Our newly launched Jeane Kirkpatrick Fellows and Visiting Scholars program has already brought four young, promising foreign and defense policy scholars to AEI. Likewise, our Emerging Education Policy Scholars Program and Education Policy Academy are helping build diverse coalitions that will fight so that every student, no matter his or her circumstances, can benefit from the best schooling possible. In business, our AEI Enterprise Club members continue to serve as indispensable resources by investing in AEI and growing our global reach among young private-sector leaders. We recently celebrated the launch of a new Enterprise Club chapter in London. And AEI’s growing Leadership Network continues to bring cohorts of small business owners, state policymakers, nonprofit managers, and other local leaders to Washington to hear from AEI scholars and other guest speakers. They leave with not only new ideas to apply in their communities, but also enduring connections to the AEI community going forward. This October, the Leadership Network will also kick off a new Regional Summit series with an inaugural conference in Jacksonville, Florida. World-class policy research is AEI’s core expertise. But this polarized political climate has made something clear: Good ideas are not enough, on their own, to effect the change that our country and our world sorely need. We also need to rehabilitate the competition of ideas itself. For debate to be productive—for good ideas to get the hearing they deserve—our civil discourse must be refounded in a genuine moral consensus and a spirit of warmheartedness. We need leaders with high standards for empirical rigor and deeply moral principles behind their work. That’s why building a better world requires that we invest in both the “supply” and the “demand” sides of our work. Thank you, as always, for your support. You make this kind of outreach and impact possible. My colleagues and I would be happy to talk further with you about AEI’s outreach programs, and as always, we welcome suggestions for all of our programs from your own networks of colleagues and friends. AEI Hosts Ambassador Haley The United States Permanent Represen- Ten media crews attended the event, tative to the United Nations Nikki Haley including CBS News, CNN, Fox News, delivered a keynote address at AEI on and NBC News, and Ambassador Haley’s September 5 on the administration’s key statements were covered extensively considerations in assessing Iranian com- in the media, including in the New York pliance with the Joint Comprehensive Times, Washington Post, and Bloomberg. Plan of Action. Her argument suggested More than 5,500 people have that Iran may not be in compliance with watched the livestream video of the the deal. Following her remarks, Ambas- event, which can be viewed online at sador Haley discussed with AEI Senior www.aei.org/events/online- Vice President Danielle Pletka what the the current situation with North Korea event-beyond-the-echo-chamber- United States can do to increase pressure reinforces the importance of countering considerations-on-us-policy-to- on Tehran at the United Nations and how Iran’s aggression. ward-iran/. AEI Brings a Competition of Ideas to Campuses AEI Academic Programs has a robust University of Michigan, Michigan schedule of scholar events, student lead- State University, Rice University, ership trainings, and policy seminars on Grove City College, Northwestern the calendar for the new academic year, University, DePaul University, and the all aimed toward fostering a true competi- University of Colorado. tion of ideas on college campuses. In fact, the illiberal student protests of Charles z Arthur Brooks will speak at Bowdoin Murray and other conservative speakers College, Concordia College New on campuses in the past academic year York, the University of Washington, AEI’s Ramesh Ponnuru debates Edward Steinfeld have only increased interest in AEI’s work and the University of Michigan on (Brown University) and Neera Tanden (Center for American Progress) at Brown University. and further motivated student leaders to topics including overcoming political bring an open competition of ideas to polarization and how to live life like an second at an East Coast school in their schools. The Institute will capitalize entrepreneurial venture. March. Each summit will include on this momentum in the year ahead. panel discussions featuring AEI In the 2017–18 academic year, more z On October 6–7, more than 100 scholars and leadership and than 370 AEI Executive Council leaders Executive Council members from communications training. (groups of up to six students who coor- across the country attended the dinate AEI outreach on their campuses) Fall Executive Council Leadership z AEI’s Values & Capitalism Program at nearly 100 campuses across the coun- Conference in Washington, DC. (AEI’s outreach program to students try will be organizing events and reach- The students participated in at evangelical colleges) will host ing thousands of college students substantive conversations on public two intensive seminars on the with the moral message of free enter- policy and training on how to serve relationship between entrepre- prise. Highlights of Academic Programs as an active Executive Council leader. neurship and human flourishing, activity in 2017–18 include: one in October at Seattle Pacific z In the spring semester, AEI will University and another in November z In September, Charles Murray spoke host two regional policy summits at Pepperdine University. on the themes of Coming Apart for 80 students each. The first will (Crown Forum, 2012) at Harvard take place at the University of Texas To learn more about Academic University and is scheduled to deliver in February for students at West Programs, visit www.aei.org/ talks on Coming Apart at the Coast schools, and we will host a academic-programs/. 3 Inaugural Class of Jeane Kirkpatrick Fellows and Scholars Joins AEI Foreign and Defense Policy Team The inaugural class of Jeane Kirkpatrick Jessica Trisko project, titled Rethinking Fellows and Visiting Scholars has joined Darden—Alongside Conservative Foreign AEI’s Foreign and Defense Policy team. Dan Blumenthal and Policy, examining the This newly launched program aims to Gary Schmitt, Trisko historical tensions identify, train, and mentor a new cadre Darden will study the between conservative of thinkers and leaders who believe in effectiveness of both nationalism and conser- fighting for freedom, a strong national military and economic vative internationalism defense, and American leadership in US foreign aid, particularly in regards to and if the Trump phenomenon can be the world. improving governance and human rights absorbed into traditions of conservative The fellows will work alongside AEI conditions in developing countries. She internationalism. Dueck is a professor in resident scholars over two-year terms is concurrently an assistant professor of the Schar School of Policy and Govern- and develop and disseminate their own international affairs with the School of ment at George Mason University. research. Our two new fellows are: International Service at American University, and she is the associate Oriana Skylar Clay R. Fuller—Under director of Bridging the Gap, an initiative Mastro—At AEI, Nicholas Eberstadt’s designed to strengthen relationships Mastro plans to study mentorship, Fuller will between scholars and the foreign policy how Chinese leaders research the survival community. conceptualize “leader- methods of modern ship” and the conditions dictatorships with a The visiting scholars will hold one- under which China focus on corruption year appointments and will collaborate is willing to take on such a role in the and economic policies. He will use data with AEI’s resident scholars and fellows, international system, with a focus on the analytics to study how economic tools, engage in rigorous research, disseminate role of Chinese military power.