The Catalyst: A Journal of Ideas from the Bush Institute

Building the New American Economy
How to deliver growth that works for everyone

This edition of The Catalyst: A Journal of Ideas from the Bush Institute tackles an urgent question: how can we build an inclusive economy that works for more Americans? The top economists and other contributors to Building the New American Economy don’t agree on everything, and that’s by design. Together, however, they sketch a broad vision of how to face new challenges while fostering inclusive growth, and they offer practical roadmaps for how to get there.

For a deeper look at the themes that shaped this issue, read Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Tepperman’s editor’s note.

Read The Full Edition of The Catalyst

Populism won’t help U.S. workers. Here’s what will
by Michael Strain, Paul F. Oreffice senior fellow in political economy at the American Enterprise Institute

Protection, nationalism, and government intrusion won’t fix the U.S. economy. Doing that will take removing the barriers to upward mobility.

How AI could supercharge America
by Neil Chilson, head of AI policy at the Abundance Institute and former Chief Technologist of the Federal Trade Commission

The United States already leads the world in high-tech development. But policy, not technology, now stands in our way.

Building a more inclusive economy
by Melissa Kearney, the Gilbert F. Schaefer professor of economics at the University of Notre Dame and director of the Aspen Economic Strategy Group

America’s market-based system already delivers enormous goods. By strengthening families and skills and fighting childhood poverty, we can ensure that more even more of us enjoy its benefits.

The right way to fight economic inequality
by Benn Steil, director of international economics at the Council on Foreign Relations

Most Americans want good jobs, not handouts. Delivering them means boosting productivity – by making it easier for Americans to move, get, and switch jobs.

Preparing young Americans for our high-tech future
by Robin Berkley, the Ann Kimball Johnson director of education at the Bush Institute, and Alexis Yelvington, program manager of opportunity at the Bush Institute

Thriving in a world of AI will take strong math and reading skills. But that’s just where the U.S. educational system is losing ground.

The Do’s and Don’ts of industrial policy
by Cullum Clark, director of the Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative

Washington’s intervention in the semiconductor industry shows that government involvement can sometimes help certain sectors grow – but at a much higher cost than most people realize.

How Beijing games the global economy
by Igor Krestin, senior advisor of global policy at the Bush Institute

Admitting China into the World Trade Organization was supposed to lead it to liberalize. In fact, the opposite has happened.

When help holds families back
by Angela Rachidi, senior fellow and Rowe Scholar in poverty studies at the American Enterprise Institute

Despite decades of growth, many Americans still feel left behind. To change that, we must fix our social safety net so it promotes advancement instead of trapping families in hardship.

In defense of billionaires
by James Pethokoukis, senior fellow and the DeWitt Wallace Chair at the American Enterprise Institute

Attacking the uberwealthy is cheap and easy. But many billionaires enrich the whole economy – and the wrong restrictions could make all of us poorer.

Read The Full Issue

About the George W. Bush Institute

The George W. Bush Institute is a solution-oriented nonpartisan policy organization focused on ensuring opportunity for all, strengthening democracy, and advancing free societies. Housed within the George W. Bush Presidential Center, the Bush Institute is rooted in compassionate conservative values and committed to creating positive, meaningful, and lasting change at home and abroad. We utilize our unique platform and convening power to advance solutions to national and global issues of the day. Learn more at bushcenter.org.

Was this email forwarded to you by a friend?
Subscribe today to receive updates from the George W. Bush Presidential Center.

George W. Bush Presidential Center
2943 SMU Boulevard
Dallas, Texas 75205