All New America Events for 2008

This summer’s public revelation that China has constructed two or more new ballistic missile submarines raises a number of strategic, operational and bureaucratic questions about the future of nuclear arsenals held by China and the United States. How China deploys and operates these systems, as well as how the United States responds, will significantly impact the stability of deterrence in the Pacific. The New America Foundation invites you to join five national security scholars as they participate in a… more

On Jan. 14, the American Strategy Program hosted a panel discussion featuring journalist Nicholas Schmidle and New America's Peter Bergen, Steve Coll, Steven Clemons and Flynt Leverett. A brief summary follows, while an MP3 audio recording of the full 90-minute event can be downloaded below and video can be viewed at right. To watch a brief post-event discussion featuring Bergen, Clemons and Coll, please click here.

Leverett, a former NSC staffer and a Senior Fellow at New America, kicked off… more

Between 1994 and 1999, Kenneth W. Kizer, MD, MPH, led a dramatic turnaround of the Veterans health care system. Today, in study after study, the VA emerges as an exemplar of best practices in patient safety, disease management, evidence-based medicine, electronic medical records and customer service. Both Senators Clinton and Obama, as well as a number of jounalists and academics, have recently pointed to the VA health care system as a model for national healthcare reform, and a… more

"Free My Phone" was the impassioned headline of Wall Street Journal personal technology columnist, Walt Mossberg, who took both the wireless carriers and the FCC to task for not giving consumers the choice to use the devices and applications of their choice. Currently, wireless carriers can restrict the phones and other devices consumers can use on their network, what device features they can access, and what software applications and content they can download. This "locking and blocking"… more

The Fed just dropped the fed funds rate by 75 basis points -- the largest such move since 1984. No matter what the issues were yesterday, it is clear that the economy -- domestic and global -- is what will be the biggest political issue today and tomorrow... at least for a while. So for this New America event, our Economic Growth Program and Next Social Contract Initiative brought together economic policy advisors to the various political campaigns.

Steven Clemons,… more

Join the New America Foundation/American Strategy Program for a presentation by Leonard Weinglass, defense attorney for Gerardo Hernández, Antonio Guerrero, Ramón Labañino, Fernando González, and René González, also known as the Cuban Five.

These five individuals were sent by the Cuban government to gather intelligence on extremist Cuban exile organizations such as the Cuban American National Foundation, Brothers to the Rescue, Commandos F4 and Alpha 66 -- some of which have been allegedly complicit in numerous terrorist acts on the… more

Parents and policy makers have long looked to close the educational, health, economic and other gaps in child well-being between children of different backgrounds. As the 2008 campaign heats up, many are wondering about the increasingly diverse generation of America’s children and asking: Where is policy helping and failing to close the gaps between children of different backgrounds? Where do the gaps currently exist? What changes could have the greatest impact? On January 29th, we… more

Nuclear terrorism is an urgent threat, but policy debates have been dangerously dominated by caricatured depictions of terrorist groups and potential plots. In his latest book, On Nuclear Terrorism, Michael Levi argues that an obsession with worst-case scenarios and finding perfect defenses has blinded us to important opportunities to confront the nuclear threat.

On Jan. 30, the Nuclear Strategy & Nonproliferation Initiative drew together Levi and New America’s Priscilla Lewis and Jeffrey Lewis to engage in a discussion of… more

Carol Whiteside, President of The Great Valley Center, presented on the challenges that families in California face in building savings and assets for education, retirement, homeownership, entrepreneurship, and security against economic crisis. While this is an issue throughout California, it is particularly so in the San Joaquin Valley. Capitol staff were briefed on the Valley's economy as it relates to family incomes and asset accumulation and how those factors relate to Valley residents' ability to pay for college education… more

Last year, Nigeria's newly-elected president set forth a seven-step agenda to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals and turn Nigeria into a top-20 industrialized nation by 2020. But this will be no easy task. Nigeria's wealth inequality is among the worst in Africa - a situation illustrated by the contrast between the nation's substantial oil wealth and a poverty rate of around 50%. Nigeria's National Poverty Eradication Program (NAPEP) responded to this challenge in December 2007 by launching… more

On Feb. 1, Whitehead Senior Fellow Michael Lind hosted award-winning Cambridge economist Ha-Joon Chang, who delivered a talk based on his new book, Bad Samaritans: The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism. A brief summary follows, while an MP3 audio recording of the 71-minute event can be downloaded below and the video can be viewed at right.

Chang’s central theme was that developing countries should look to the history of successful nations, rather than economic theory, to… more

When EarthLink announced its decision to withdraw further investments in municipal wireless networks in November 2007, the future of Philadelphia's network, along with hundreds of municipal wireless projects, became uncertain. Wireless Philadelphia, the nation's first big-city municipal wireless initiative, led the way for cities to invest in broadband infrastructure. Although a number of other muni wireless networks have been set up and are running successfully (such as St. Cloud, FL and Chaska and Minneapolis, MN) troubles with the Philadelphia… more

Before China carried out an anti-satellite test in January 2007, some U.S. policy-makers, including NASA Administrator Michael Griffin and the U.S. House China Working Group, advocated greater cooperation between the United States and China in space. After the test, which created a massive cloud of space debris that angered international space professionals and alarmed the American public, increased references to U.S.-China competition and hints of a new space race drowned out calls for cooperation. Using the experience they… more

In How We Missed The Story: Osama bin Laden, the Taliban, and the Hijacking of Afghanistan, award-winning journalist Roy Gutman weaves a narrative that exposes how and why the U.S. government, the United Nations, and the Western media "missed the story" in the leadup to 9/11. Focusing primarily on events in Afghanistan in the 1980s and 1990s, Gutman contends that foreign policy in the region was non-existent. He argues that instead of a comprehensive foreign policy, the U.S. government… more

Personal savings rates have plummeted in the past decade to an all-time historic low. Many Americans aren't saving enough money for retirement, households are increasingly living day to day on high-interest credit cards, and millions are one medical emergency or layoff away from financial crisis. Moreover, poor savings rates mean that there is less money for domestic investment and to finance our government's debt. As more and more Californians are expected to save for their own futures, millions… more

On Tuesday, February 19th, the Fiscal Policy Program at the New America Foundation held a joint event with the Heritage Foundation entitled "Rethinking Social Insurance.” At this event, Maya MacGuineas (New America Foundation) and Stuart Butler (Heritage Foundation) released a paper by the same name, which then received comments from former CBO directors Alice Rivlin (Brookings Institution) and Rudolph Penner (Urban Institute). The event was moderated by Jodie Allen, Senior Editor of the Pew… more

When Samantha Power won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide, many people wondered what she would write for an encore. Her answer is a groundbreaking biography of Sergio Vieira de Mello. In nearly four decades of work for the United Nations, Sergio distinguished himself as the consummate humanitarian, able to negotiate with-and often charm-cold war military dictators, Marxist jungle radicals, reckless warlords, and nationalist and sectarian militia leaders. … more

In the post-September 11 world, Al Qaeda is no longer the central organizing force that aids or authorizes terrorist attacks or recruits terrorists. Rather, it serves as an inspiration for individuals and other groups who have branded themselves with the Al Qaeda name. Marc Sageman, a former CIA case officer in Afghanistan in the 1980s, builds upon his bestselling book, Understanding Terror Networks, to explain how Islamic terrorism emerges and operates in the twenty-first century. In the recently published… more

While the President signs into law a $152 billion stimulus package to jumpstart the economy, millions of Americans continue to rack up consumer debt, watch their home values slide, and worry about their futures with little to no savings. In fact, even with stimulus checks on the way to promote consumption, Americans are focusing on the need to rein in their debt and save more. A recent Harris Interactive poll found that when it comes to using the… more

The New America Foundation welcomed Steffen Kampeter from the Budget Committee of Germany’s Bundestag for a discussion of the far-reaching effects of the American sub-prime mortgage crisis and the subsequent breakdown of financial markets.  Patrick Doherty, Deputy Director of the American Strategy Program, moderated the session. Herr Kampeter briefed attendees on the general state of economic affairs in Germany and throughout the European Union, along with the European reaction to the sub-prime crisis.  He stated that in… more

California has a tax system largely fixed in place during the Great Depression, in an industrial economy-setting unconcerned with environmental sustainability. Two questions about this tax system are posed here: First, can California find ways to raise the revenue it needs in the 21st century that are a better fit with our high-tech, service-based economy than is the current system? Second, can California's tax/fee structure be used to meet the state's greenhouse gas emissions under its AB 32 guidelines?

On Feb.… more

Once again, California is facing a budget crisis -- but this is nothing new. The state has faced fiscal difficulties for over 30 years, problems magnified by initiative limitations, competing political objectives, and population growth. Fortunately, today we have bipartisan awareness about the structural nature of the state’s fiscal dysfunction and the need for long-term solutions. Our panel of seasoned political experts will discuss budgetary lessons learned and provide insight into the best course for California’s future.

This event is co-sponsored… more

Phillip Longman began by framing the core question of the event: are we in a transformative political moment, and what would that mean? Even after a decade of debilitating partisanship, Rovian strategists and Netroots bloggers continue to exacerbate political polarization. Yet, with the likely nominations of John McCain and Barack Obama, observers of all political stripes have sensed the prospect of a political sea-change. Whether it is a government unified around a bold progressive majority, a resurgent and transmuted conservatism,… more

Kenya has drawn increasing scrutiny and absorbed U.S. policymakers' attention after the disputed results of the December election set off rounds of violence amongst political factions. During the runup to the elections, European Parliament member and Deputy Chairman of the German Liberal Democrats (FDP), Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, led an EU observer mission. As one of the first and leading voices to express doubts about the election process, he drew international attention to the electoral crisis. Graf Lambsdorff has argued that… more

In 2003, Abu Omar was kidnapped by CIA agents in Italy on suspicion of being involved with al Qaeda. He was transported to Egypt, where he was tortured by Egyptian intelligence services. Abu Omar was later released, only to be recaptured after speaking about his experience in Egypt. In the latest issue of Mother Jones magazine, New America Fellow Peter Bergen uses Abu Omar's story to explore the CIA's extraordinary rendition program. Bergen also chronicles the rise… more

The Internet, social networking and peer-to-peer (p2p) communication have transformed how people connect, as well as the scope, scale and speed of mass collaborations. This transformation has opened the door for self-emerging and increasingly complex virtual forums, allowing individuals to collaborate and organize from worlds apart.

Please join us for a discussion about what happens when people are given the tools to do things together, without needing traditional organizational structures. Shirky will discuss his new book, Here Comes Everybody:… more

Has the right hijacked patriotism? Has the left ceded it? Does wearing a flag lapel pin make you a true patriot? Is dissenting against a war truly patriotic? Who decides? Written by former speechwriter and senior domestic policy advisor to President Clinton, Eric Liu, and Seattle-based entrepreneur and philanthropist, Nick Hanauer, The True Patriot argues that in these cynical times there should be a higher call: to country first. The… more

Efforts to reform California's health system hold many lessons for the nation. The bipartisan spirit displayed by Governor Schwarzenegger and Assembly Speaker Núñez proves that Republicans and Democrats can work together to address the most challenging health care problems facing our nation. In addition, the campaign to cover all Californians united an unprecedented coalition of advocates: hospitals, insurers, large and small employers, labor, and patients. Rarely have such disparate interest groups united in favor of a health reform… more

During the last six years, the U.S. Administration has held nearly 800 alleged terror suspects without trial at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. 500 of these men have now been released, but their stories - and the stories of those who remain - are largely unknown. Fragments have emerged in books and interviews, and in declassified accounts from the detainees' lawyers, but until now there has been no comprehensive overview of all their cases. On March 12 the New America Foundation… more

With the United States and China, who will rule whom? That's the central question of In the Jaws of the Dragon by Tokyo-based journalist and writer Eamonn Fingleton. His own answer is sobering. As American leaders fixate on the Middle East, China quietly consolidates both its geostrategic vision and its economic and military power. What is at stake is far more important than manufacturing jobs or the transparency of Sovereign Wealth Funds. It is a matter of which nation will… more

Please join us for a conversation with former Israeli Foreign Minister and Minister of Public Security Shlomo Ben-Ami. Ben-Ami led peace negotiations with the PLO under Prime Minister Ehud Barak, culminating in the Camp David Summit. He is visiting the United States to discuss the shortcomings of the Annapolis process, how to address them, and the broader regional picture. Given the Israeli-Palestinian violence of the past few weeks, Ben-Ami will address the "how to's" of a ceasefire plan, the… more

When the Iranian people vote for their parliamentary representatives on Friday, March 14, the results may be surprising. But will the rising dissatisfaction with the government and an increased desire for compromise with the United States translate into change? The New America Foundation's American Strategy Program along with Terror Free Tomorrow, a leading non-partisan public opinion research organization, will discuss the full results of TFT's most recent poll of Iranian public attitudes. For more information see Robin… more

Grand explanations of how to understand the complex twenty-first century world have all fallen short-until now. In The Second World: Empires and Influence in the New Global Order, Parag Khanna shows how America's dominant moment has quickly been replaced by a geopolitical marketplace where the European Union and China compete with the U.S. to shape world order on their own terms.The primary battlefield is the Second World, regions lying between the three leading empires and the third world:… more

"In the wake of September 11, the United States became a nation that practiced torture. Astonishingly-despite the repudiation of torture by experts and the revelations of Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib-we remain one." So begins the special issue of The Washington Monthly. The New America Foundation and the American Security Project are proud to co-sponsor a special lunchtime panel featuring leading experts sounding their urgent call for the United States to end the practice… more

"Invest Wisely. End Poverty." This is the goal of eBay's new online microfinance investment marketplace, MicroPlace. While online microlending has been growing more popular with peer-to-peer offerings such as the non-profit Kiva.org, MicroPlace is charting a whole new course in the microfinance industry, offering socially-minded Americans a new way to offer microloans to entrepreneurs in the developing world. As the only broker-dealer in the microfinance arena, MicroPlace is the first and only online service offering… more

Currently, too many Californians are disconnected from the financial mainstream. While national estimates show that 10 percent of households, including nearly one-quarter of the minority population, are "un-banked," meaning they lack a basic checking or savings account, 28 percent of California's adults do not have a checking or savings account. Recent market research indicates that Fresno and Los Angeles have the highest and third highest percentages of un-banked residents in the country respectively. Compounding the situation is… more

Join us for a conversation with former New York Times Washington Correspondent Adam Clymer, who will discuss his new book, Drawing the Line at the Big Ditch: The Panama Canal Treaties and the Rise of the Right. Clymer argues that domination of the debate over the Panama Canal Treaties gave conservatives emotional appeal and helped build the foundation of the American conservative movement. After the death of William Buckley, many pondered the origins of the modern conservative movement. But,… more

For the past year, twenty-something Washington Post reporter Amar Bakshi has traveled across the globe talking to ordinary people of his generation -- farmers, rebels, rappers, laborers -- whose primary experience of the United States has been with George W. Bush at the helm.

What he found was eye-opening. Having just returned to the U.S. this month, Amar will offer some new perspectives on the texture of pro- and anti-Americanism at the local level.

Amar C. Bakshi is currently reporting for the… more

Former John Edwards campaign senior economic advisor and telecom executive Leo Hindery understands better than most the difference between the needs of Wall Street and the needs of average Americans on Main Street. Looking at the subprime crisis as a symptom of a long history of economic mismanagement, Leo Hindery will argue that recent calls to change the regulatory bureaucracy in Washington are at best a band-aid. Rather, the American economy needs a long-term strategy to build a new edge… more

On April 2nd, The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget held its 2008 annual dinner at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill. Through a roundtable discussion, a cocktail reception, and a dinner panel, this event brought together many of the nation's foremost fiscal and financial policy experts from both parties. Video of the dinner panel discussion can be viewed at right. For video of the afternoon roundtable, please click here… more

The results of last month's parliamentary elections in Iran are now in. For anyone interested in Iran, these polls provide an essential indicator for the presidential elections next year as well as an important insight into the next year of Iran's internal politics and foreign policy. Joining us to assess the results will be Ali Ansari, professor of Middle Eastern Studies at St. Andrews College in Scotland and author of Iran, Islam & Democracy - The Politics of Managing… more

On April 9th, Jeffrey Lewis, director of the Nuclear Strategy and Nonproliferation Initiative, hosted James Acton, a Lecturer in the Centre for Science and Security Studies in the Department of War Studies at King's College London for a talk entitled "Nuclear Mind Reading: Iran's Nuclear Intentions and the IAEA". Acton analyzed the IAEA's ability to assess states' intent?as opposed to their capabilities?and then asked what the IAEA means when it announces that an issue is ?no longer considered to be… more

What have we learned? Panelists will discuss lessons for the next administration.

Please RSVP to Emily at rsvp.meet08@gmail.com

Sponsored by The Graduate Program in International Affairs, New School University, and The Security Policy Working Group (SPWG)*

*Security Policy Working Group: Arms & Security Initiative, New America Foundation; Economists for Peace and Security; Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments; enter for War, Peace, and the News Media, Boston University; David Gold, Graduate Program in International Affairs, New School; National Priorities Project;… more

On April 14, the New America Foundation’s Middle East Policy Initiative and the Foundation for Middle East Peace came together to discuss the continued construction of Israeli settlements and its impact on the peace process. Daniel Levy, Director of the Middle East Policy Initiative moderated the event. Hagit Ofran, director of Peace Now's Settlement Watch project presented her findings on Israeli settlement activity. Ambassador Phil Wilcox, president of the foundation for Middle East Peace was on hand to participate in… more

Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and author of the national bestseller Ghost Wars, Steve Coll presents the story of the Bin Laden family's rise to power and privilege. In The Bin Ladens, Coll shows how the family navigated though and around economic and cultural hurdles, and he presents an authentic story of Saudi Arabia, America and those caught in the crossfire. Revealing new information, Coll shows how American influence changed a family's fortune and how one family member's rebellion changed the world.

"Riveting" - The New York… more

Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and author of the national bestseller Ghost Wars, Steve Coll presents the story of the Bin Laden family's rise to power and privilege. In The Bin Ladens, Coll shows how the family navigated though and around economic and cultural hurdles, and he presents an authentic story of Saudi Arabia, America and those caught in the crossfire. Revealing new information, Coll shows how American influence changed a family's fortune and how one family member's rebellion… more

On April 17th, New America Foundation and the University of California Washington Center hosted a panel discussion featuring Flynt Leverett, Fred Kempe, Steven Weber, and Nicholas Gvosdev. Weber, director of the UC Berkeley Institute for International Studies, described how developing countries such as China and Russia have been able to avoid both assimilation into the current Western international system and military conflict with the U.S. by constructing a set of relationships and institutions that sidestep the current world… more

Families across America face a growing array of financial decisions in an increasingly complex financial environment. Consumers are expected to navigate an increasinly complex financial services market in order to save for retirement, higher education and homeownership. Those with low-incomes -- who disproportionately lack both financial know-how and relationships with financial institutions -- are especially vulnerable to being shut out of the financial marketplace. On Thursday, April 17th, Ellen Seidman, Director of New America's Financial Services and Education Project,… more

Grand explanations of how to understand the complex twenty-first century world have all fallen short-until now. In The Second World: Empires and Influence in the New Global Order, Parag Khanna shows how America's dominant moment has quickly been replaced by a geopolitical marketplace where the European Union and China compete with the U.S. to shape world order on their own terms.The primary battlefield is the Second World, regions lying between the three leading empires and the third world:… more

Most scholars and policymakers favor stemming the tide of nuclear proliferation, even as they acknowledge the pacifying effects of established nuclear arsenals on great power relations. When it comes to nuclear arsenals, how robust must a country's nuclear arsenal be--how much is enough? Some of the key variables in existing studies - e.g., the nuclear "balance of power" - have been poorly conceived, and the data used to measure the nuclear balance and its effect on policy has come from… more

Over the next few decades, the developed world will age and weaken. Meanwhile, demographic trends in the developing world-from resurgent youth booms in the Islamic Belt to premature aging in China and population implosion in Russia-will give rise to daunting new security threats. While some argue that "global aging" is pushing the world toward greater peace and prosperity, a crisis looms in the 2020s. The risks of both chaotic state collapse and neo-authoritarian reaction are rising. Neither… more

Currently, Los Angeles' local elections run on a wasteful, two-round election system. Last May, only 6 percent of voters turned out for the runoff election for the Los Angeles Community College Districts -- an election that cost taxpayers $5 million, or $40 per voter. For this reason, the LA City Council is seriously considering Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) for local elections. By combining the general and runoff election into 1 single election, IRV will save millions… more

How are the kids doing? Pretty well, according to a new report unveiled at the New America Foundation on April 25th, but experts still have significant concerns about the future. The report, "Trends in Infancy/Early Childhood and Middle Childhood Well-Being, 1994-2006," was authored by Dr. Kenneth Land of Duke University and funded by the Foundation for Child Development (FCD) and is part of an on-going series of events and reports hosted by the New America Foundation designed to… more

The 21st century confronts Americans and Europeans with numerous challenges and opportunities. As the world is growing closer together, national politics are becoming less relevant, especially in Europe. The EU has taken on a wide range of responsibilities from its member states. What effect does this development have on transatlantic relations? The new political landscape in Europe demands a revision of thought and a new approach towards transatlantic relations. Collaboration between the EU and the U.S. is the key… more

Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Iran are the primary state players that make life in the Kurdish neighborhood complex, but non-state actors also roil the environment inside Iraq. The Kurdish question remains a major global flashpoint. As Iraq’s civil war rolls on and stability of the multi-ethnic state is called into question, Quil Lawrence believes how the U.S. handles the Kurds and their quest for statehood will define the region for decades to come. Quil Lawrence is the Middle East… more

For two centuries Asians have largely been bystanders in world history, reacting to surges of Western commerce, thought, and power.

Now former United Nations Ambassador Kishore Mahbubani -- whom Foreign Policy magazine ranked as one of the top 100 public intellectuals in the world -- declares that era is over and the West must embrace rather than resist this structural shift.

Video of this April 28 event is available at right. For more on Mahbubani, his book and the arguments he… more

On Tuesday the 29th of April, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, in association with the New America Foundation, American University and the Tax Foundation, hosted an event concerning the major domestic policy issues facing the nation before the upcoming presidential election. Focusing on the candidates’ policy proposals, the event featured four panels of policy experts. The first three—on climate change, health care, and tax reform—featured independent experts from across… more

On April 30, American Strategy Director Steve Clemons hosted United States Senator Chuck Hagel, who discussed his new book, America: Our Next Chapter: Tough Questions, Straight Answers. An MP3 audio recording can be downloaded below, while video is available at right. Senator Hagel’s talk, delivered in his signature self-deprecating and straight-talking manner, emphasized the interconnectedness of America’s challenges and demanded more effective leadership from his colleagues in Washington. The Vietnam veteran began his analysis of America’s strategic position… more

On May 2, The New America Foundation hosted a book event for President and CEO Steve Coll’s new book The Bin Ladens. An MP3 audio recording can be downloaded below, while video is available at right. Coll delivered a talk about the experience of Saudi Arabia, dealing with the pressures and prizes of modernity and globalization, through the prism of the Bin Laden family. He conveyed the diversity of experience that permeated the different members of the… more

On May 6th the American Strategy Program hosted an event with Philippe Sands, Professor of International Law at University College London and Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, former Chief of Staff for Colon Powell. Mr. Sands was in DC to testify to the House Judiciary Committee about the findings in his new book, Torture Team, which examines the legal implications of the Bush administration’s policy of torture. Col. Wilkerson was on hand for commentary on the subject. The event was moderated by… more

On May 7th the New America Foundation’s Nuclear Strategy and Nonproliferation Initiative joined AAAS’s Center for Science, Technology, and Security Policy for a discussion on the present and future role of nuclear weapons in U.S. and World security. The event featured Dr. Arnold Kanter, Principle and Founding Member of the Scowcroft Group, Dr. Morton Halperin, Director of U.S. Advocacy for the Open Society Institute, and Dr. Barry Blechman, co-founder of the Harry L. Stimson Center. Dr. Jeffrey Lewis, Director of… more

Voters are sending a clear message: they are concerned about the economy and worried about being able to afford health care. To examine this important nexus of health care and the economy, the New America Foundation welcomed Senator Deborah Stabenow (D-MI), the Wall Street Journal’s Laurie McGinley, and representatives from the business, labor, and economic communities to discuss the impact of rising health care costs on U.S. competitiveness and American jobs. The Capitol Hill event was focused on… more

In "Building Global Alliances in the Fight Against Terrorism," a new report commissioned by the Better World Campaign, Alistair Millar and Eric Rosand contend that while targeting and capturing terrorists remain at the forefront of the nation's counterterrorism strategy, the United States will need to adopt a much more internationalist approach -- relying on multilateral cooperation for information sharing, enhancing counterterrorism capacities of states big and small, engagement of non-traditional allies, and international legitimacy. But in… more

"By some estimates, payday loans topped $28 billion last year, and have doubled every year for the past five years. These numbers are really frightening." -Sheila Bair, Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, April 19, 2007 Join the New America Foundation/Asset Building Program and the Institute for American Values for a timely conference on thrift and its increasingly important role in reducing and managing personal and societal debt. Speakers will discuss changing the debt culture, solutions to payday… more

On May 13th the American Strategy Program brought together five leading experts on Middle East and Foreign Policy to discuss the current crisis in Lebanon: a political standoff between the prominent militia Hezbollah and Lebanon’s government. Those participating in the discussion were Rami Khouri, the Editor-at-large of the Daily Star, Hisham Melhem, the DC Bureau Chief of Al Arabiyah, Nir Rosen, a fellow at NYU’s Center on Law and Security and New America, Daniel Levy, the Director of New America’s… more

While one political party offers a bold, coherent, and failed vision for foreign policy, the other has proffered an inchoate and incoherent response that falls far short of a strategy. Matthew Yglesias -- a known "ringleader-of-sorts for the D.C. blogging community" -- suggests looking past both parties to offer a set of tried-and-true approaches for renewed internationalism and U.S. engagement with the world.

On May 14th the New America Foundation held an event on the future of solar technology and America’s competitive edge. Mike Splinter, President and CEO of Applied Materials, was the featured speaker for the event. Rhone Resch, President of Solar Energy Industries Association, was invited to offer opening remarks. The event was moderated by Steven Clemons, Director of the American Strategy Program at New America. An MP3 audio recording can be downloaded below, while video is available at right. more

On May 15th, Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform discussed his new book, Leave Us Alone: Getting the Government's Hands Off Our Money, Our Guns, Our Lives, and entertained questions from an audience at the New America Foundation. An MP3 audio recording can be downloaded below, while video is available at right. Norquist began by analyzing the political landscape of American politics, dividing it into two inimically opposed coalitions. The “Takings Coalition”, comprised of groups with a… more

On May 20th, the Committee for a Responsible Budget (CRFB) had an event launching its new project, US Budget Watch, (www.USBudgetWatch.org) and released their first paper, “Twelve Principles for Fiscal Responsibility.” Maya MacGuineas, President of CRFB, welcomed the audience and described the fiscal problem of one of structural deficits, an unsound Social Security system, growing health care costs, numerous looming tax issues, and unsustainable debt projections. To help get the country back on track, the project… more

The next President will conduct yet another Nuclear Posture Review -- the third since the end of the Cold War. What's the point? Will it be any different or just more of the same? At this May 20 New America event, Dr. Janne Nolan tackled these tough questions and others. Dr. Nolan, currently a professor of international affairs at the University of Pittsburgh, is author of An Elusive Consensus: Nuclear Weapons and American Security after the Cold War, considered… more

At this May 21 event, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband discussed the challenge of promoting Western style liberalism, democracy, civil society development in a world that in some corners views the word “democracy” suspiciously. He also addressed evolving national and global “identity” currents and challenges.

Every day, six million Californians, or roughly 43 percent of workers in the state, go to work for an employer that does not provide any type of retirement pension or savings plan. This lack of retirement savings opportunities puts California working families at risk. On Wednesday, May 21, Mark Iwry of the Brookings Institution presented on the current retirement savings crisis in America -- its causes and the continuing effect it will have on the financial security of… more

As the debate on the economic slowdown moves from "if" to "when" to "how long," The New School's Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis (SCEPA) and the New America Foundation will host a panel of top economists and business executives to discuss the best plan for an economic recovery.

Space is limited, please RSVP to specialevents@newschool.edu or (212) 229-5662 x 3570.

With Google, Larry Page has gone a long way toward achieving the audacious goal he and co-founder Sergey Brin set for the company: "organize the world's information and make it universally accessible."

One of his current goals is equally ambitious: making the Internet itself accessible, anywhere and anytime, through pervasive and affordable wireless broadband networks. Page has helped lead Google's efforts over the past year to pry open both unused TV airwaves and closed cellular networks to promote… more

The New America Foundation/Wireless Future Program is pleased to announce that the International Summit for Community Wireless Networks (ISC4CWN) will be held on May 28th – May 30th, 2008 in Washington, DC. Co-hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) at its downtown headquarters, IS4CWN is the largest gathering of community wireless networking developers, implementers and allies working to build universal, low-cost wireless broadband networks around the world. The Summit serves as an integral… more

**This event has been postponed until further notice. We apologize for the inconvenience.**

Egypt has long played a pivotal role in the Arab world's cultural and political development. Five decades after the coup d'état that overthrew Nasser, John Bradley sorts through Egypt's tense political conditions with particular emphasis on a coming succession crisis in the face of a rising Islamist movement, corruption, and violence.

**This event has been postponed until further notice. We apologize for any inconvenience.**

The yeoman tradition—in which the small property owner and the entrepreneur represent an American ideal—inspired many of the nation’s founders, Thomas Jefferson most notably. Yet today, deregulation and a lax interpretation of anti-trust law make it increasingly difficult for small businesses to even access local markets. Mega chains may be ruthlessly efficient in driving down prices, but their near-monopoly positions create tremendous barriers to entry and… more

On Monday, June 2nd, the New America Foundation's Political Reform Program held an engaging panel discussion and luncheon on instant runoff voting (IRV) in Los Angeles.

Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) is a critical electoral reform for the City of Los Angeles that allows voters to rank a first, second and third choice for each office. IRV elects majority winners in a single election without the expense and voter fatigue of a second election. IRV holds great promise to increase voter turnout… more

On June 2nd the American Strategy Program hosted a conversation with Professor George Lakoff, PH.D, premier linguist and cognitive scientist, in which he discussed his new book, The Political Mind: Why You Can't Understand 21st Century American Politics with an 18th Century Mind. Steven Clemons, Director of the American Strategy Program led discussion and Q&A for the event. An MP3 audio recording can be downloaded below, while video is available at right. Dr. Lakoff of the University of California,… more

Former Iraqi Foreign Minister Adnan Pachachi on U.S.-Iraqi Relations including U.S. Forces, Bases and Iraq's Relations with the Broader Middle East.

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On June 4th, Dr. Thomas Fingar, Chairman of the National Intelligence Council, spoke at the New America Foundation on public controversy surrounding recent National Intelligence Estimates and reforming the data collection and analysis processes used to generate them. Fingar began by discussing the wide ranging process of data collection and intelligence input needed to produce a National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), a procedure that can include input from as many as sixteen different government agencies. He then explained the… more

Most discussion of the impending wave of Baby Boomers entering retirement age focuses on the capacity of entitlement programs to support them. Under-examined is the question of Boomers’ abilities to support themselves and what policy changes might be necessary to help them do so. The ongoing instability in financial markets and its effect on the assets that many Boomers have planned to tap for retirement add to the uncertainty. Macroeconomic developments, workplace norms and existing policy barriers all make the… more

Current research reveals something that our personal experiences confirm - that there is a conflict between the structure of the workplace and the needs and priorities of American families. An MP3 audio recording can be downloaded below, while video is available at right. The ability to practice one's faith often runs into the way that work is organized. The desire of religious people to volunteer, be with family, and observe holy days is driving a conversation about how… more

On June 10th the American Strategy Program brought in Senior Adviser to CSIS and the Atlantic council, Washington Times columnist, and renowned expert on military affairs Harlan Ullman for a thought-provoking discussion with American Strategy Director Steve Clemons on the drastic need for reform at the Pentagon. An MP3 audio recording can be downloaded below, while video is available at right. Harlan Ullman outlined in stark terms the problems faced by our military in the coming years: ballooning defense… more

The American Strategy Program gathered four celebrated political scientists—Prof. Charles Kupchan of Georgetown University, Prof. Peter Trubowitz of the University of Texas at Austin, Prof. Daniel Deudney of Johns Hopkins University, and Prof. John Ikenberry of Princeton University—for a discussion of the future of Liberal Internationalism in American foreign policy. An MP3 audio recording can be downloaded below, while video is available at right. Profs. Kupchan and Trubowitz spoke first, outlining the argument from their recent paper… more

The U.S. economy has been gripped by a relentless housing crisis for almost two years. A key driver in this crisis has been the many subprime mortgages that involved high rates and fees -- often requiring no down payments -- that were made in the past several years. California is ground zero in the subprime crisis and the resultant spillover effects -- foreclosures, bankruptcies, decreasing property values to name a few. Recognizing that relying on the market alone is unlikely… more

Funding is always a central issue in education policy debates, and education funding is often a bone of contention in federal budget and appropriations battles. Yet many of the people who are most affected by federal education budget decisions are unaware of how those decisions are made or where the money goes. On June 12 the New America Foundation launched the Federal Education Budget Project to lift the veil from the federal education budget process and provide policymakers, journalists, educators,… more

On June 16, 2008, the New America Foundation hosted a presentation by Bruce Stokes and Richard Wike on the discoveries and implications of the recently released 2008 Pew Global Attitudes Survey. An MP3 audio recording can be downloaded below, while video is available at right. Richard Wike, Associate Director Pew Global Attitudes Project, laid out the primary findings of the report. Overall, the United States has seen modest gains in its perception around the world, with ten surveyed nations… more

On June 16th, the New America Foundation co-sponsored an event with The Century Foundation examining the status quo of the Israel-Palestine conflict and the future it portends. The event hosted was hosted by Patrick Doherty, Deputy Director of the American Strategy Program, featuring three speakers representing the Palestinian, Israeli, and American perspectives on the conflict. An MP3 audio recording can be downloaded below, while video is available at right. Palestinian activist and former presidential candidate, Mustafa Barghouti offered the… more

Is there an upside to the worst foreign policy disaster in U.S. history? Maybe. The current war in Iraq should definitively, permanently settle a handful of critical questions about American conduct in the world. Lessons from Iraq: Avoiding the Next War provides a list of those questions and even ventures some answers in the form of key lessons from Iraq.

Join us for a lively discussion of these lessons with noted contributors. The panel will be followed by… more

On June 18th the New America Foundation’s Next Social Contract Initiative held a book launch for Professor Gil Troy’s latest book, Leading from the Center: Why Moderates Make the Best Presidents. Professor Troy is a history professor at McGill University and a Visiting Scholar at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington. Frank Micciche, Deputy Director of the Next Social Contract, moderated the event. An MP3 audio recording can be downloaded below, while video is available at right. Professor Troy… more

On June 20th the New America Foundation’s American Strategy Program hosted the release of Terror Free Tomorrow’s groundbreaking new surveys of Pakistani public opinion, presented by Terror Free Tomorrow’s President Ken Ballen. New America scholars Peter Bergen and Nicholas Schmidle then provided expert analysis of the data and the detailed the implications of the report for future American policy toward Pakistan and the war in Afghanistan. American Strategy Program Deputy Director Patrick Doherty moderated the discussion. An MP3… more

Like it or not, security is a partisan issue. But in his discussion June 23 at the New America Foundation, Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) outlined a post-partisan "purple state"-style strategy for reform in intelligence and information gathering, buttressed by withdrawal from Iraq. An MP3 audio recording can be downloaded below, while video is available at right. Sen. Feingold focused first on Iraq, arguing that the biggest policy mistake after 9/11 was not actually taking on Al Qaeda directly. more

Although the U.S. once led the world in Internet deployment and innovation, our nation continues to plummet in international rankings in terms of broadband adoption, speeds and costs. As a result, there is growing support for an affirmative national broadband policy to promote more affordable and ubiquitous access to high-bandwidth connectivity. An MP3 audio recording can be downloaded below, while video is available at right. Since 2001, the e-NC Authority of North Carolina has been at the forefront… more

On Tuesday, June 24, 2008 the New America Foundation’s Next Social Contract Initiative hosted a panel discussion with Yale Law School professor Michael Graetz; Maya MacGuineas, President of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and Director of the Fiscal Policy Program at New America; and Michael Lind, Whitehead Senior Fellow at New America. Professor Graetz spoke on his new book, 100 Million Unnecessary Returns: A Simple, Fair, and Competitive Tax Plan for the United States. The panelists offered… more

On June 25, 2008, the New America Foundation brought together Leo Hindery, Managing Director at InterMedia Partners and former senior economic advisor to the John Edwards Campaign, and Tom Gallagher, Senior Managing Director at International Strategy and Investment Group, to discuss the causes behind skyrocketing oil prices and their implications for American middle-class families. An MP3 audio recording can be downloaded below, while video is available at right. Hindery began by laying out research pointing to speculative investment as… more

On June 26 The New America Foundation's American Strategy Program and the Heinrich Böll Foundation hosted Reinhard Bütikofer, the leader of Germany's Green Party, for a discussion about possibilities of cooperation with China over the issue of climate change. Steve Clemons, the director of the American Strategy Program, moderated the discussion. An MP3 audio recording can be downloaded below, while video is available at right. Bütikofer began by detailing the importance for Europe of involving China in projects to… more

On June 27th, the New America Foundation and the Century Foundation co-hosted “Making Sense of the Arab-Israel Nightmare”, an event which aimed to investigate the status quo, the future available to the Bush Administration, and a measure of “crystal ball gazing” into what one can hope for from the next Administration Special Assistant to Ambassador Morton Abramowitz at the Century Foundation, Jonathan Kolieb, hosted a Q&A-style session with three former practitioners in a lively discussion that explored the lessons to… more

On June 27, 2008, Peter Gosselin, L.A. Times National Economics Correspondent, offered an atypical view of the economy that faces the average American family. Rather than the usual top-down macroeconomic perspective, he talked about how the economy looks “out the front door”. He was accompanied by comments from Ellen Seidman, Director of New America’s Financial Services and Education Project, to discuss Gosselin's new book, “High Wire: The Precarious Financial Lives of American Families.” An MP3 audio recording can… more

On Wednesday, July 9, 2008, The New America Foundation’s Next Social Contract Initiative hosted a panel discussion on Australia’s mandatory pension plan (aka “superannuation”).  Mavis Robertson, Former Chair of the Cbus superannuation fund, and Garry Weaven, Chair of Industry Funds Management and a member of the Superannuation Advisory Committee spoke on the pros and cons of superannuation. Jane White, President of Retirement Solutions, and Pamela Perun, Policy Director of the Initiative on Financial Security at the Aspen Institute, addressed whether… more