Freedom & Progress 2024

As the U.S. national debt continues to soar, economists and policy experts alike are sounding the alarm about a looming fiscal crisis. This panel will examine the real-world impact of rising debt on everyday Americans, from inflation and interest rates to potential cuts in government services. We will discuss the long-term risks of a fiscal crisis and explore possible solutions to address the nation's unsustainable debt path.

As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes industries, the new technology could level the playing field by creating new opportunities for underserved populations. It could also exacerbate existing inequalities through biased algorithms and automation. In this panel, we will explore the potential risks and benefits of AI as it becomes ever more integral in the workforce and education, as well as ways to ensure that it expands opportunity without leaving the most vulnerable behind.

Legal immigration enriches America’s cultural fabric and plays a vital role in sustaining a strong, dynamic economy, but our current system for managing it is broken. This panel will explore ways to fix some of its most pressing issues, including strengthening legal immigration pathways to address workforce shortages, drive economic growth, and enhance national competitiveness. Panelists will discuss the biggest challenges facing the current system and propose solutions to ensure that legal immigration continues to support a vibrant society.

While inflation regularly grabs headlines, many other factors are also driving the cost of living ever higher for American families. This panel will examine often-overlooked contributors to rising costs, including housing regulations, health care expenses, energy policies, and labor market dynamics. Scholars specializing in these areas will discuss how they affect everyday expenses and propose solutions that could ease the burden on American households.

Instead of offering a hand up, the U.S. welfare system often traps low-income Americans in cycles of dependency through broken incentives and steep benefit cliffs, which penalize those who try to work their way out of the system. This panel will explore innovative ways to reduce benefit cliffs and create pathways to financial independence, empowering more Americans to transition off assistance and build sustainable, self-sufficient futures.