Long-term challenges and the future covers the large, slow-moving problems that governments and societies must face over decades. They include pressures on democracy, changes in population and work, the climate and natural resources, emerging technologies, and risks to the whole world. The subject looks at how institutions can plan beyond a single term of office.
An independent team explaining how government works
A Texas software company called IgniteTech unveiled MyPersonas, software that creates AI-powered digital replicas of employees using their voice, video, and written materials at the Consumer…
Universal Basic Income has moved from academic theory to mainstream policy debate. The shift stems from several converging forces: lingering economic damage from the pandemic, growing…
For nearly two centuries, the United States patent system operated on the unspoken assumption that the "inventor" was a human being. But the arrival of generative…
In November 2025, the American economy presents a puzzle. Unemployment sits at 4.2%, inflation has cooled to around 3% from its painful peaks, and the stock…
Democratic Challenges, Civic and Community Futures, Action and Agency, Long-term Thinking and Governance, Information Ecosystem Futures, and Social and Cultural Futures look at how people govern themselves, share information, and take action together.
Demographic Changes, Longevity and Aging Society, Economic Transformation, Fiscal Sustainability, and Money and Payments Futures look at population change, work, public finances, and how money moves.
Climate Change Futures, Resource Scarcity and Environmental Limits, and Infrastructure Decay and Renewal look at climate, limited natural resources, and the systems that support daily life.
Technological Futures, Existential Risks, Pandemic Preparedness, and Global Order and Geopolitics look at emerging technology and at dangers that cross borders.
Economic inequality is one of the most polarizing issues in American society. While a majority of Americans express concern about the gap between rich…
A group of political scientists has delivered a stark assessment of American democracy. Bright Line Watch, composed of academics from institutions like the University…
James Comey’s prosecutions raise questions about evidence, political pressure, prosecutor appointments, public costs and the safeguards courts apply.
One of the primary reasons for founding America's public education system was to prepare young people for active participation in self-government. Today, some champion…
The year 2025 marks a sharp break from the century-old norm of once-a-decade redistricting. From Austin to Sacramento, a fierce political battle has erupted…
An anonymous reader writes to us: Why don’t you list in sequential order all the violence committed ... since Trump began re-election bid. In…
When disaster strikes America, the president's first words carry extraordinary weight. From Franklin D. Roosevelt's radio addresses during the banking crisis to Donald Trump's…
The assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, sent shockwaves through a nation already fractured by political…
The gunshot that killed Charlie Kirk at 12:20 p.m. on September 10, 2025, at Utah Valley University was more than an individual tragedy. It…
The gunshot that killed Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025 sparked renewed concern about the state of American political violence.…
