The Campus Exchange

What does it mean to be a good citizen? How is American government meant to function? What does the present ideological state of our parties indicate?

The American Enterprise Institute’s Dr. Jay Cost is joined by students from the University of Georgia to discuss insights that James Madison, Founding Father and America’s fourth president, can offer us about brokering compromise in a divided society. For more on the topic, check out Cost's incisive new biography, James Madison: America's First Politician.

The United States' unprecedented withdrawal from Afghanistan this past summer has left a wake of questions and uncertainty. What does a new Afghanistan mean for Iran and U.S. allies in the region? How did U.S. foreign policy progress to this point and what are the lasting implications of this decision?

AEI's Michael Rubin is joined by students at Stanford University to discuss the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, our evolving mission in the country, and what an American withdrawal means for the region, our allies around the world, and Americans back home. 

Is upward economic mobility attainable for most Americans? Are welfare programs offering increased opportunity? And what policy solutions provide hope for post-pandemic economic recovery?

AEI's Scott Winship and the Atlantic's Annie Lowrey joined the Academic Programs team this summer to discuss American mobility, welfare, and opportunity. From recession and pandemic analysis, to the viability of universal basic income and family-focused welfare programs, Winship and Lowrey offer insight into the future of the American economy.

This panel conversation was part of the 2021 AEI Summer Honors Program lecture series. If you are a student interested in applying to the 2022 program, applications are now open here.

In an age marked by racial division and political polarization, what visions and ideals can Americans share? When our national history is for many a source of shame rather than pride, how can Americans find a way forward to prosper and thrive—together? And when many thinkers and activists emphasize historical grievance and victimization, who can offer a more positive perspective without ignoring the injustices of the past?

AEI's Academic Programs hosted a recent panel conversation on the 1776 Unites movement, a non-partisan and intellectually diverse alliance of thinkers, writers, and activists offering important answers to these questions by tackling some of America’s biggest educational, cultural, and economic challenges. We were joined by AEI’s Ian Rowe, the University of California, Berkeley’s Janice Brown, Glenn Loury of Brown University, and Wilfred Reilly of Kentucky State University.

You can also watch the conversation here.

-AEI for Students

-AEI Executive Council Program

What does integrity in political leadership look like? How do we commit to truth in political and social life?

Welcome to the new academic year and Season 2 of the Campus Exchange!

Former Congressman Carlos Curbelo joins the Academic Programs team to share his insights from his time in public service. In the next decade Hispanic politicians, community activists, and business leaders are poised to influence the American political and social landscape. What sort of issues will this generation of leaders focus on? How might they shake up our current understanding of partisanship and polarization? And what lessons can they learn from leaders that came before them? 

AEI's Campus Exchange and the Panorama Podcast (panoramapodcast.org) present this conversation from the Future of Hispanic Politics virtual conference just in time to register for our first second in-person National Student Conference on Hispanic Politics! The American Enterprise Institute’s Academic Programs department is proud to partner with the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute and Florida International University for a program that is open to undergraduate students from all political and ethnic backgrounds.

Learn more and apply here by September 12th: https://www.aei.org/national-student-hispanic-conference/

How can we think more broadly about career, family, and achievement? What might a more robust view of achievement offer? What comprises a meaningful vocation and how can we steward our talents to this end?

Dr. Elizabeth Corey, AEI visiting professor 2018-2019, joins students at Baylor University, offering a reorientation of how we can think about a balanced life in the face of conflicting priorities. She speaks on today’s pernicious view of achievement, the good of work, and how both the liberal arts and Christianity can serve as more balanced models. Tune in for a conversation on how to broaden our view of achievement to find greater fulfilment and better serve the world around us.

This episode of The Campus Exchange is brought to you by the Initiative on Faith and Public Life. It is the second of a two-part series for college students and young professionals. In case you missed it, be sure to check out Part 1 in Episode 10: The Curmudgeon’s Guide to Graduation, where we began the exploration of work, education, and fulfillment.

-AEI for Students

-AEI Summer Honors Program

What sorts of personal and professional experiences should people in their twenties prioritize? What should recent graduates expect from life and careers beyond the university?

Amidst this graduation season, AEI’s Charles Murray joins the Academic Programs team to discuss his book "The Curmudgeon's Guide to Getting Ahead: Dos and Don'ts of Right Behavior, Tough Thinking, Clear Writing, and Living a Good Life." From leaving home and trying out different jobs, to taking the clichés about marriage and happiness seriously, Murray offers advice on the pursuit of both a successful career and a happy life.

This episode of The Campus Exchange is Part 1 of a two-part series for college students and young professionals. We’ll continue exploring education, careers, and achievement in Part 2, so be sure to tune in!

-AEI for Students

-AEI Summer Honors Program

How much has American foreign policy shifted from the Trump administration to the Biden administration? How is president Biden planning to address America’s greatest foreign policy challenges?

In this episode of The Campus Exchange, AEI’s Kori Schake joins students at Elon University for a high-level survey on some of the most consequential foreign policy questions facing the Biden administration. Schake explores the challenges posed by three significant revisionist powers: China, Russia, and Iran. She also underscores the importance of international alliances, and the Biden administration’s shortcomings in strengthening ties with European allies.

Stay tuned until the end of the episode, when Schake answers student questions about humanitarian crises, China’s belt and road initiative, and America’s role in the UN Security Council.

What challenges has the pandemic posed for our education system and what are its long term implications on schools across America? AEI resident scholar Rick Hess joins students at Harvard University to discuss K-12 schools during the pandemic. Hess looks at the challenges it has presented for students, parents, and teachers; the effectiveness of hybrid schooling models; and the timeline for school reopenings.

Be sure to stick around until the end of the conversation, where Hess talks about his latest book, “A Search for Common Ground: Conversations About the Toughest Questions in K–12 Education” (Teachers College Press, 2021).

-AEI Executive Council Program

-AEI for Students

Most commentators agree that China is America’s greatest strategic competitor on the international stage. But can we understand our relationship with China through analogies to America’s greatest 20th century struggle, the Cold War?

AEI research fellow Zack Cooper joins students at the University of Miami to explore the history of China’s rise in the world stage, the challenges it poses, and the shortcomings of Cold War comparisons. He also offers advice to students interested in careers in US-China relations.

-AEI Executive Council Program

-AEI for Students