Aspen Economic Strategy Group Welcomes New Members
Aspen Economic Strategy Group Welcomes New Members Leading policymakers, business executives, and academics join bipartisan group dedicated to promoting evidence-based solutions to America’s economic challenges. WASHINGTON, DC, MARCH 12, 2025 – The Aspen Economic Strategy Group (AESG) today announced that eleven new members have joined the bipartisan group of distinguished leaders and thinkers who are ...
AESG Insights: The Economics of Falling Birth Rates
THE ECONOMICS OF DECLINING US FERTILITY Recent proposals such as “baby bonuses” and expansions to the Child Tax Credit have cast increased attention on the issue of declining birth rates in the US. The AESG and its director Melissa S. Kearney have repeatedly highlighted the significant social and economic consequences of the country’s falling birth ...
Supporting Families, Rewarding Work: A Proposal to Reform and Enhance the EITC and the CTC
The federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC) are important sources of income support to workers with low earnings and to low-income families with children. In this policy brief, the authors propose incremental reforms to both credits that would streamline the dual goals of rewarding work and supporting children, while ...
Beyond the Myths: A Clearer Path to Poverty Alleviation in America
In “Beyond the Myths: A Clearer Path to Poverty Alleviation in America,” Melissa S. Kearney and James Sullivan reassess poverty trends and policy responses in the United States. They document that, contrary to common perceptions, poverty has declined substantially over the past four decades and that anti-poverty programs have played a central role in this ...
Aligning High-Skilled Immigration Policy with National Strategy
The United States’ innovative edge depends on its ability to draw on the best talent from around the world. However, the laws that govern high-skilled immigration are outdated and misaligned with the needs of today’s economy. Only a small share of green cards, which provide immigrants permanent resident status in the United States, are allocated ...
Advancing America’s Prosperity
The United States stands at a pivotal moment in economic policymaking. Sweeping domestic legislation changes, rising geopolitical tensions, and rapid advances in artificial intelligence have fueled a high degree of uncertainty about economic conditions, for both households and businesses. These developments also raise urgent questions about how best to safeguard and advance America’s prosperity and ...
Introduction: Advancing America’s Prosperity
The United States stands at a pivotal moment in economic policymaking. The Trump administration has profoundly reshaped America’s approach to international economics, adopting a more confrontational stance on trade and retreating from long-standing multilateral agreements. In April 2025, the Trump administration announced tariffs on goods from every US trading partner, ranging from 11 to 50 percent, ...
Current Evidence on Household Financial Well-Being
Despite strong economic conditions, survey data reveal substantial economic worry and discontent among Americans. Pew survey data from 2024 indicated that “strengthening the economy” was Americans’ top policy priority, above “defending against terrorism,” “reducing crime,” and “dealing with immigration” (Pew 2024). A separate Pew survey from that same year found that only 53 percent of ...
An Energy Strategy for National Renewal
After two decades of relatively constant energy consumption, the nation faces a surge in power demand driven by artificial intelligence, domestic manufacturing, and continued electrification, developments that challenge an already-constrained electricity grid. In this way, the United States’ energy strategy must effectively bridge economic policy and geopolitical power while serving as a calibrated response to ...