Research Universities and the Future of America presents critically important strategies for ensuring that our nation’s research universities contribute strongly to America’s prosperity, security, and national goals. Widely considered the best in the world, our nation’s research universities today confront significant financial pressures, important advances in technology, a changing demographic landscape, and increased international competition. This report provides a course of action for ensuring our universities continue to produce the knowledge, ideas, and talent the United States needs to be a global leader in the 21st century.
Research Universities and the Future of America focuses on strengthening and expanding the partnership among universities and government, business, and philanthropy that has been central to American prosperity and security. The report focuses on the top 10 actions that Congress, the federal government, state governments, research universities, and others could take to strengthen the research and education missions of our research universities, their relationships with other parts of the national research enterprise, and their ability to transfer new knowledge and ideas to those who productively use them in our society and economy.
This report examines trends in university finance, prospects for improving university operations, opportunities for deploying technology, and improvement in the regulation of higher education institutions. It also explores ways to improve pathways to graduate education, take advantage of opportunities to increase student diversity, and realign doctoral education for the careers new doctorates will follow. Research Universities and the Future of America is an important resource for policy makers on the federal and state levels, university administrators, philanthropic organizations, faculty, technology transfer specialists, libraries, and researchers.
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Future of America | Sustainable, Inclusive Growth – McKinsey
Future of America | Sustainable, Inclusive Growth Future of America podcast Join us in conversation with people who are accelerating sustainable and inclusive growth across the US. Building Black-owned brands to accelerate prosperity June 21, 2022 – Black-owned businesses are crucial to America’s long-term prosperity, but they face long-time challenges. How can McKinsey’s Next 1B accelerator help create a more inclusive environment for Black entrepreneurs? Addressing unequal opportunity in an American city May 26, 2022 – Spatial inequality limits opportunities for millions of Americans. How can companies leverage their unique positions to promote sustainable, inclusive growth in the communities they call home? Rise of the inclusive, sustainable consumers April 28, 2022 – How can businesses attract and retain customers when sustainability and inclusion are no longer “nice to have” but critical to business? And how can they do so successfully in this challenging economic environment? Future of Sustainability Report – McKinsey Global Institute The future of work after COVID-19 February 18, 2021 – The pandemic accelerated existing trends in remote work, e-commerce, and automation, with up to 25 percent more workers than previously… Sorry, we couldn’t find any results. Try removing some filters. Article – McKinsey Quarterly Being transgender at work November 10, 2021 – Although corporate America has stepped up its public support of LGBTQ+ rights, it still has a long road ahead to foster a truly… Sorry, we couldn’t find any results. Try removing some filters. What barriers prevent economic inclusion? Hear from Farida, a former HR executive who exited the workforce when her children switched to remote learning at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic Sorry, we couldn’t find any results. Try removing some filters. There is both public- and private-sector resolve to shore up a sector that has long been an important pillar of the economy. This momentum, combined with technology trends and market opportunities, offers a rare chance to change the existing trajectory—and give the United States a powerful driver for economic recovery, inclusive growth, resilience, and the capabilities of the future. We strive to provide individuals with disabilities equal access to our website. If you would like information about this content we will be happy to work with you. Please email us at: [email protected] Collection Reinvesting in America Approximately $3 trillion in additional federal spending could enter the US economy. Will these investments be transformative? How can governments and companies harness the opportunity to advance sustainable and inclusive growth?
Views of America's future in 2050 | Pew Research Center
1. America in 2050 Americans are narrowly hopeful about the future of the United States over the next 30 years but more pessimistic when the focus turns to specific issues, including this country’s place in the world, the cost of health care and the strength of the U.S. economy. Overall, six-in-ten adults predict that that the U.S. will be less important in the world in 2050. While most key demographic groups share this view, it is more widely held by whites and those with more education. About two-thirds of whites (65%) forecast a diminished role in the world for the U.S. in 30 years, a view shared by 48% of blacks and Hispanics. Roughly seven-in-ten adults with a bachelor’s or higher degree (69%) see a lesser role internationally for America. By contrast, six-in-ten of those with some college education (but no bachelor’s degree) and 52% of those with less education are as pessimistic about the country’s future world stature. The current partisan political debate over the country’s proper role in the world is mirrored in these results. About two-thirds of Democrats and independents who lean Democratic (65%), but closer to half of Republicans and Republican leaners (52%), think America will be a diminished force in the world in 2050. These differences are even greater among partisans at opposite ends of the ideological scale: 72% of self-described liberal Democrats but 49% of conservative Republicans say the U.S. will be less important internationally in 30 years. As they see the importance of the U.S. in the world receding, many Americans expect the influence of China will grow. About half of all adults (53%) expect that China definitely or probably will overtake the United States as the world’s main superpower in the next 30 years. As with U.S. standing in the world, large party differences emerge on this question. About six-in-ten Democrats (59%) but just under half of Republicans (46%) predict that China will supplant the U.S. as the world’s main superpower. The public predicts another 9/11 – or worse – by 2050 For an overwhelming majority of Americans, the 9/11 terrorist attacks stand as the most important historic event in their lifetimes. As Americans look ahead to 2050, six-in-ten say that a terrorist attack on the U.S. as bad or worse than 9/11 will definitely (12%) or probably (48%) happen. This troublesome prediction is widely expressed by most major demographic groups. Roughly equal proportions of whites (61%), blacks (56%) and Hispanics (59%) say such a terrorist attack is likely sometime in the next 30 years, and so do 57% of men and 62% of women. While Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say such an attack will definitely or probably happen, majorities in each group express this view (63% of Republicans and 57% of Democrats). At the same time, some demographic differences do emerge. Those with some college or less education are more likely than college graduates to expect another 9/11 (64% vs. 49%) by 2050. And Americans who are 50 or older are more likely than younger adults to say this will happen. Narrow majority sees a weaker economy in 2050 Just over half of the public (54%) predicts that the U.S. economy in 30 years will be weaker than…
The Biden presidency and the future of America's 'forever wars'
Where Will American History Go Next?
Where Will American History Go Next?As Americans gathered to celebrate their country’s 246th birthday this year, they were in a foul mood. They increasingly loathe and fear one another, and an astonishing three-quarters of them think the United States is on the wrong track. Everybody can find compelling evidence for their views, meanwhile, because the country is going in several directions simultaneously. Abortion used to be legal, while same sex marriage and marijuana were not. Now it’s the reverse. Racial identities used to be seen as constructed while gender identities were fixed. Now it’s the opposite. And so on down the line. With all the changes happening, it is only natural to look for historical patterns and seek guidance from the past on where the country will go next. But it turns out that not only is the past itself in dispute, the whole notion of historical patterns is a mirage. More on: United States Future of Democracy Political History and Theory Politics and Government Global Governance This wasn’t always the case. A generation ago, some thought the end of the Cold War signaled the end of History. The failure of communism and the success of liberal democratic capitalism, the argument ran, showed that certain systems were better suited to human nature than others, and so in the long run, the world would trend in that direction. Renewing America Ideas and initiatives for renewing America’s economic strength. But three decades later, the future seems harder to predict. China has gone from strength to strength, not bothering to liberalize much along the way as it was supposed to. Instead of accepting its defeat and getting with the times, Russia has returned to its old tricks—although the past it is currently replaying is Imperial rather than Soviet. The European Union, the world’s great experiment in transnational federalism, has splintered rather than consolidated. And the United States itself, supposedly leading the caravan of progress forward, has swerved off the road and barely escaped crashing. History with a capital “H” may indeed have ended, but if so, it is in Wagner’s sense rather than Hegel’s. Today we are like the Norns at the beginning of Gotterdammerung. The skein of time has broken in our hands; we can no longer read the future because the old world of stable grand narratives has given way to unpredictable human chaos. From Ancient to Modern The ancients thought history was static or cyclical. There was no progress; nothing ever got better. As the Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius put it in his Meditations, Look at the past—empire succeeding empire—and from that, extrapolate the future. No escape from the rhythm of events. Which is why observing life for forty years is as good as a thousand. Would you really see anything new? Christianity gave the human play a second act but located it offstage, in another sphere. This life might be a constant round of suffering, it said, but there was a better one to come afterwards—where the damned would get their due, as would the blessed. For a thousand years after the fall of Rome, the Christian view ruled the West, building around itself an elaborate civilization. Life was lived in a seamless web of interconnected authority:…
What's Next for American Democracy? – New America
What’s Next for American Democracy?If the future of American democracy feels uncertain, that’s because it is. So, what will the rest of the decade look like? It’s always hard to make predictions, especially about our uncertain future, but there are three potential scenarios: breakdown, muddle, and transformation. By understanding how and why each scenario could come about, my hope is that we can collectively steer away from breakdown and towards transformation.BreakdownIt is not hard to think about how the breakdown of the government could come, given all the overheated rhetoric about the 2024 election, and the ways in which the “Big Lie” has galvanized many far-right activists into seeking office themselves or pushing their elected representatives to buy into their far-fetched theories and change the voting rules. A disputed 2024 election almost feels like a foregone conclusion at this point, and it is increasingly difficult to imagine that the losing side concedes peacefully. The question is: then what?Imagine a narrow Trump win, and Republican control of Congress. Democratic protests grow in states Trump narrowly won. Right-wing counter-protestors show up, and street fighting grows. Democratic protests mount after Trump is inaugurated. Now Trump has the powers of the presidency at his disposal. He can mobilize federal resources and declare a state of emergency. He could have the justifications he needs to establish an authoritarian state.Or, alternatively, imagine a narrow Biden win. Republicans in Congress object. Protests grow. Does Biden send in the troops? Does he crack down on inciters and limit civil liberties? Do Republican states begin to mount a secession campaign?Or imagine the election winds up in the courts with no clear winner. How does it get resolved? What happens when militia groups are spoiling for a fight?One could spin out more scenarios here, but they would all have three important things in common. First, the losing side refuses to accept the loss, because they are convinced the other side cheated. Second, rather than go quietly, they engage in political violence. And third, violence is met with violence and the force of a federal crackdown, which pushes into authoritarianism.The specifics of how it happens may vary, but once an escalating spiral of violence begins, it may be very hard to stop. Additionally, states dominated by partisans on the losing side may begin agitating for secession, contributing to even more escalation.MuddleThe “Muddle” scenario differs from the “Breakdown” scenario in that we avoid a spiral of violence. Perhaps there is some violence, but it mostly calms down. If Trump wins, and Republicans take charge, they struggle to govern coherently. As with the previous Trump administration, they are bogged down by their own incompetencies and petty in-fighting. And because much of the federal government can run on auto-pilot and benign neglect, it continues to do so, though with increasing incoherence and inefficiency.Meanwhile, policy innovation continues to happen at the state and local level. Fights between levels of government continue to amplify (think about the fights between cities and states and the federal government over masking and vaccination policies, for example), leaving the courts overwhelmed and divided. Despite the authoritarian intentions of Trump and his acolytes, they can only do so much damage, given the many overlapping lines of authority in the layered U.S. system, and the reality that narrow majorities always struggle to govern.Eventually, Democrats come back into power nationally, and fight the same struggles in steering the rudderless ship of state as it is pulled in all directions.Or Democrats maintain control after the 2024 election. Maybe Democrats even get unified control of Congress, and Biden makes bold promises again for his second term. But again, he is stymied by fights within his own party, and the difficulties of getting anything done in Washington.Either way, what distinguishes the muddle from the breakdown is that despite grudging and grumbling, protests do not escalate into widespread violence. Perhaps this is because much of the heated rhetoric around violence is simply rhetoric, or because activists believe they are better off trying to win the next election and don’t wish to risk their lives or winding up in jail. As long as…
Nearly Two-Thirds of Young Americans Fearful About the …
Nearly Two-Thirds of Young Americans Fearful About the Future of Democracy in America, Harvard youth poll findsSecond release of data from IOP’s spring poll shows politicians, money in politics, the media, political correctness, structural racism and access to higher education contributing factors CAMBRIDGE, MA – A new national poll of America’s 18- to 29-year-olds by Harvard’s Institute of Politics (IOP), located at the Kennedy School of Government, finds that nearly two-thirds (64%) of young Americans have more fear than hope about the future of democracy in America. For the first time, the Harvard Public Opinion Project asked a series of questions about how responsible 18- to 29-year-olds believed different groups were for the existing problems in American politics and society today. Politicians were viewed as very or somewhat responsible by at least 7-in-10 young Americans, regardless of political affiliation. Money in politics and the media were mentioned by at least 6-in-10 Democrats, Republicans and Independents. Young Democrats under 30 blamed politicians (77% responsible), Donald Trump (77% responsible), money in politics (75% responsible), structural racism (69% responsible) and lack of access to higher education (66% responsible) as the most significant factors responsible for the state of politics and society today. The top five factors Republicans believe are responsible are: the media (72%), politicians (70% responsible), political correctness (64% responsible), money in politics (63% responsible), with other Americans (45%), a distant fifth. “Young Americans are deeply concerned and fearful about our country’s future,” said IOP Polling Director John Della Volpe. “There’s a healthy debate raging on the reasons why – politicians, media, big money, political correctness, and structural barriers like racism and access to education are all contributing factors in the eyes of millennials and post-millennials. Yet, there is no debate that young people are working hard to bridge these divides, finding pragmatic solutions and instilling hope for a stronger democracy.” Click here to view toplines. Click here to see the poll results on our website. This poll of N=2,631 18- to 29- year-olds, which was organized with undergraduate students from the Harvard Public Opinion Project, was conducted using GfK’s probability-based online sampling methodology between March 8 and March 25, 2018. The margin of error for the poll is +/- 2.54 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level. Throughout the month of April, we will be releasing additional details and poll results on topics including: gun control, the 2nd Amendment, and the NRA; the border wall, DACA, and immigration policy; sexual harassment, assault, and the #MeToo movement; use of and interest in joining the U.S. military; the opioid crisis; and public service and community service. All results can be found at http://iop.harvard.edu/spring-2018-poll. ###
Research Universities and the Future of America
Research Universities and the Future of America: Ten Breakthrough Actions Vital to Our Nation’s Prosperity and SecurityResearch Universities and the Future of America presents critically important strategies for ensuring that our nation’s research universities contribute strongly to America’s prosperity, security, and national goals. Widely considered the best in the world, our nation’s research universities today confront significant financial pressures, important advances in technology, a changing demographic landscape, and increased international competition. This report provides a course of action for ensuring our universities continue to produce the knowledge, ideas, and talent the United States needs to be a global leader in the 21st century. Research Universities and the Future of America focuses on strengthening and expanding the partnership among universities and government, business, and philanthropy that has been central to American prosperity and security. The report focuses on the top 10 actions that Congress, the federal government, state governments, research universities, and others could take to strengthen the research and education missions of our research universities, their relationships with other parts of the national research enterprise, and their ability to transfer new knowledge and ideas to those who productively use them in our society and economy. This report examines trends in university finance, prospects for improving university operations, opportunities for deploying technology, and improvement in the regulation of higher education institutions. It also explores ways to improve pathways to graduate education, take advantage of opportunities to increase student diversity, and realign doctoral education for the careers new doctorates will follow. Research Universities and the Future of America is an important resource for policy makers on the federal and state levels, university administrators, philanthropic organizations, faculty, technology transfer specialists, libraries, and researchers.