This episode of the AEI Events Podacst is the first of two episodes featuring a bipartisan research symposium on college completion hosted by Frederick M. Hess of AEI and Lanae Erickson Hatalsky of Third Way. The event marked the public release of five new reports in the AEI–Third Way collaborative project “Elevating College Completion.”

On the first panel, the Urban Institute’s Matthew M. Chingos and the University of Virginia’s Sarah Turner discussed the landscape of college completion. Dr. Turner reviewed recent policy efforts aimed at addressing America’s completion problem, and Dr. Chingos highlighted academic preparation in high school as the key predictor for a student’s future success in college.

On the second panel, Kim Clark of Education Writers Association and Mesmin Destin of Northwestern University discussed best practices from colleges and universities to improve college completion rates. Ms. Clark’s research calls out several university-level programs that have proven to be particularly effective at raising completion, and Dr. Destin highlighted how various psychological factors — including motives and mindsets — also play a role in improving a student’s chance at completing college.

Part 2 will be published on Sunday, July 1.

This event took place on May 31, 2018.

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On this episode of the AEI Event Podcast, four leading agricultural policy experts gather to discuss the farm bill proposal for 2018 and assess the bill’s implications in the context of current and proposed changes to farm subsidy and price support programs.

First Barry Goodwin, a professor at North Carolina State University, spoke about the changes to Title I programs in the new farm bill. He believes that the rhetoric of the proposed changes does not match the economic facts.

Next, AEI’s Vincent Smith argued that farmers will not buy the kind of crop insurance offered unless it is heavily subsidized. He reviewed several of the serious reform proposals to subsidy programs.

John Beghin, from North Carolina State University, addressed the sugar program and the proposed changes in the sugar modernization act including reforms at the margin.

Finally, Daniel Sumner, a professor at University of California, Davis, explored dairy and trade issues in the 2018 Farm Bill. He hopes that US agriculture can be left to do what it does best — compete in the world markets and be efficient.

This event took place on May 3, 2018.

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On this episode of the AEI Events Podcast, Mackenzie Eaglen sits down with Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson. From cutting-edge hypersonic missiles to humble propeller-driven attack aircraft intended for counterterrorism operations, Secretary Wilson previewed experimental programs that will provide tomorrow’s airmen with the capabilities they need to fly, fight, and win. The secretary also articulated her concept of “defendable space” meant to revolutionize how the Air Force acquires and operates systems for use outside the stratosphere.

Asked to reflect on the most important lesson from her storied career, Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson noted that nothing is more critical than living by a consistent set of values.

Implementing these changes requires not only great leaders but also an effective team. Few could match the Air Force in this regard; Secretary Wilson noted that when parents were asked which military service they thought their child should join, most said the Air Force.

This event took place on April 20, 2018.

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On this episode of the AEI Events Podcast, New Orleans’ Mayor Mitch Landrieu reflects on his experiences with governing at the local level and the progress New Orleans has made during his time in office. Having inherited a city struggling with numerous challenges, he recounted how his administration worked to rebuild a foundation for the future through a method he described as “the will and the way.” Rather than trying to restore the city to the way it was before, Mayor Landrieu said the people of New Orleans found the will to rebuild the city as it should have been by taking an “everybody-in” approach to enact reforms, insisting on vertical and horizontal integration.

In a conversation with AEI’s Norman J. Ornstein, Mayor Landrieu talked about how New Orleans has taken steps to address long-standing divisions, such as reforming policing practices to improve relations between police and communities of color. Contrasting federal government with local government, Mayor Landrieu said mayors have no choice but to overcome various divisions in order to move forward because they deal with concrete problems that affect the people they personally interact with in their day-to-day lives. He emphasized that innovation and change at the city level can have national impacts.

This event took place on April 24, 2018.

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On this AEI Events Podcast, you’ll hear remarks from Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) on elevating and empowering veterans through VA reform in light of President Trump’s recent executive order “Supporting Our Veterans During Their Transition from Uniformed Services to Civilian Life,” followed by a discussion with experts in veterans’ affairs.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recognizes that it must empower and equip veterans with the resources they need to flourish after service, but it struggles to fulfill this mission. A more integrated approach to veterans’ transition programs, including education and programs focused solely on economic opportunity, can better assist veterans reentering the workforce, fostering individual entrepreneurship while combating the harmful “broken veteran” narrative.

This event took place on May 15, 2018.

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On this episode of the AEI Events Podcast, AEI hosts House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Mike Conaway (R-TX) to discuss the future of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in the 2018 Farm Bill.

Chairman Conaway highlighted work as a vital antipoverty measure. He discussed proposed reforms to SNAP that seek to encourage and reward employment through measures such as work requirements for working-age, able-bodied adult recipients. Following the chairman’s remarks, an expert panel offered their analysis of the bill.

Jason Turner of the Secretaries’ Innovation Group agreed that the bill improves SNAP but contended that it provides too many exemptions from the work requirement and connects too few SNAP recipients to employment opportunities. AEI’s Angela Rachidi agreed that the bill is a step forward but noted that it is too restrictive on states. She urged federal lawmakers to prioritize states’ concerns and insights. Highlighting the mission of SNAP to improve nutrition for low-income families, Dr. Rachidi also advocated for greater restriction of sugar-sweetened beverage purchases with SNAP benefits. Finally, Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation echoed Mr. Turner’s concern that the work requirements touch too few recipients. Since marriage helps protect families from poverty, he critiqued the potential marriage penalty in the bill’s requirement for both parents to engage in work activities.

This event took place on May 8, 2018.

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On this episode of the AEI Events Podcast, the Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar joins AEI to discuss the administration’s recent agenda on prescription drug prices.

The US health care system faces a crisis of cost, inefficiency, low value, and complexity. As the Trump administration and Congress work to reform health care, they should consider the innovative approaches developed by purchasers who cover more than half of all Americans — employer-sponsored health plans. Large employers have improved quality and controlled costs through patient engagement, provider payment reform, and delivery system improvement.

This event took place on May 16, 2018.

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This AEI Events Podcast features civic leaders and scholars discussing localism and the areas in which local decision-making can solve public problems.

Former Indianapolis Mayor and deputy mayor of New York City Stephen Goldsmith reflected on his experiences with the limits of centralized bureaucracy, highlighting the importance of knowing the people for whom policy is made. He also emphasized that there is still a place for state and federal governments, particularly in matters of commerce and equal protections.

A panel of experts then discussed their contributions to “Localism in America,” a new collection of essays from AEI and the Center for Opportunity for Urbanism. The Manhattan Institute’s Howard Husock highlighted research that showed spending per capita is lower in smaller municipalities, arguing that distributing rather than consolidating authority can improve services. Doug Ross of New Urban Learning argued that celebrating local decision-making balanced with constitutional protections can restore public confidence in democracy.

The Center for Opportunity Urbanism’s Anne Snyder emphasized the loss of faith in institutions, pointing to a broader “existential disconnection” among millennials, which can be alleviated by greater local involvement. Natalie Gochnour of the University of Utah explained how local solutions in Utah helped combat generational and childhood poverty through data-sharing efforts.

This event took place on February 22, 2018.

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On this AEI Events Podcast, AEI’s Roger F. Noriega hosts the new US ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), Carlos Trujillo, for a conversation on President Trump’s strategy in the Americas.

In the conversation, Amb. Trujillo introduced himself to the audience and discussed how his busy first few weeks in the Trump administration have progressed. He recently returned from the eighth Summit of the Americas, where he and Vice President Mike Pence met with leaders from around the hemisphere and reenergized the efforts of civil society groups that have been working to restore democracy in challenging political environments.

The discussion also covered the international response to the deteriorating political and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. Amb. Trujillo emphasized the need for focus both within the Trump administration and the OAS on responding appropriately to the upcoming May 20 elections in Venezuela, which are widely expected to be rigged. He said that the governments of the entire region should be doing more to hold the Maduro regime accountable and expressed support for US sanctions, which have been effective in punishing the regime. Amb. Trujillo also urged the OAS Permanent Council to investigate the recent unrest and violence in Nicaragua, where government forces allegedly killed more than 40 people.

This event took place on May 3, 2018.

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On this AEI Events Podcast, AEI hosts Mr. Hendrik Meijer from the Netherland-America Foundation to discuss Meijer’s new biography of Sen. Arthur Vandenberg, “Arthur Vandenberg: The Man in the Middle of the American Century” (University of Chicago Press, 2017).

Sen. Arthur H. Vandenberg (1884–1951), a Republican from Michigan, played a key role in rallying congressional support for the institutional underpinnings of the American-led post–World War II liberal order. As Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, he embraced a role for American leadership that far exceeded what he had envisioned as an ardent opponent of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Lend-Lease support to the United Kingdom. Vandenberg’s evolution from isolationist to post-partisan internationalist is newly relevant today, against the backdrop of resuscitated “America First” thinking.

In “Arthur Vandenberg: The Man in the Middle of the American Century” (University of Chicago Press, 2017), fellow Grand Rapids native and Dutch-American Hendrik Meijer presents the first comprehensive account of Vandenberg’s life and career.

This event is moderated by AEI’s Stan Veuger and features remarks from AEI’s Michael Barone.

AEI’s Stan Veuger makes the opening introductions (1:02), Hendrick Meijer gives his presentation (2:25), the discussion begins (30:03), and audience Q&A (1:07:18).

This event took place on March 1, 2018.

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