Eight Questions—and Some Answers—on the US Fiscal Situation
In this paper, Jason Furman addresses eight specific questions essential to understanding the US fiscal situation and what policymakers can do to address the federal debt. He finds that an adjustment of between 0.7 and 4.6 percent of GDP is necessary to stabilize the debt over the next decade, and he proposes a broad set ...
State Capacity for Building Infrastructure
This paper, by Zachary Liscow, examines state capacity for infrastructure construction in the United States. It identifies three elements of state capacity that drive up costs and slow down timelines: insufficient personnel, onerous procedures, and a lack of adequate tools. Liscow offers specific suggestions about ways to address these challenges and improve US public capacity ...
Why Crime Matters, and What to Do About It
In this paper, Jennifer Doleac describes what is known about crime trends in the US and outlines the best evidence to date on the effectiveness of various approaches to reducing crime through prevention, deterrence, and rehabilitation. Crime in the US rose during the 1980s and early 1990s before declining steadily until 2020. During the COVID-19 ...
Strengthening America’s Economic Dynamism
The Aspen Economic Strategy Group’s seventh annual policy volume focuses on the theme, Strengthening America’s Economic Dynamism. The volume’s publication comes at a time when US policymakers are turning away from free-market principles in favor of protectionist policies and more active government-directed industrial policy. These shifts, combined with growing economic and political difficulties including the ...
Top 12 Charts of 2024 from the AESG
As a group devoted to advancing evidence-based economic policy, the AESG appreciates the powerful role that charts play in telling the story of our economy. Enjoy twelve figures that showcase our work in 2024! Figure 1: Manufacturing’s share of employment in the US has fallen consistently since the end of the Second World War. In ...
Book Launch Recap: Strengthening America’s Economic Dynamism
This week the AESG published our seventh annual policy volume, Strengthening America’s Economic Dynamism. This year’s volume features six papers covering topics including US trade and industrial policy, America’s fiscal and state capacity, the impact of advances in artificial intelligence on the labor market, and evidence-based strategies to make communities safer. These papers also provided ...
Key Takeaways From “AI for Good: A Conversation With Josh Tyrangiel”
Watch a recording of the event here. On June 9, 2026, the Aspen Economic Strategy Group hosted author Josh Tyrangiel to discuss his new book, AI for Good: How Real People are Using Artificial Intelligence to Fix Things That Matter. The book explores real-world examples in areas such as education, healthcare, and public services where ...
Stablecoins After GENIUS: Private Money, Public Debt, and the Global Dollar
The 2025 GENIUS (Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins) Act established the first comprehensive US regulatory framework for US dollar (USD)-backed stablecoins, setting the stage for significant growth of these digital assets in the coming years. In Stablecoins After GENIUS: Private Money, Public Debt, and the Global Dollar, Nellie Liang and Brent Neiman ...
Key Takeaways From “The American Economy in a New Era”
Watch a recording of the event here. On August 5, 2026, the Aspen Economic Strategy Group (AESG) hosted The American Economy in a New Era featuring Stanford University economist Erik Brynjolfsson and Lazard CEO and Chairman Peter Orszag in conversation with AESG Director Melissa S. Kearney. Opening the AESG’s sixth public program — held immediately ...