New America

A think tank and civic enterprise renewing America in the Digital Age

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This Week in the Weekly (145)

This special issue of the New America Weekly examines the link between gender and security, looking at how and why it matters to think about a policy's gender impacts, and why policymakers on both sides of the aisle continue to dismiss the linkage.

Gender as a Second Language

Until policymakers recognize how central gender is to every security policy and issue, we will continue to live in an unsafe world.

Beyond the Helpless Victim

We measure the scale of a conflict’s violence through the injury and death of women, but otherwise neglect them in the stories we tell.

A Chronic Problem: Violence Against Women in Turkey

Deep-seated, restrictive views of gender roles still foment violence in Turkey, despite the legal protections women enjoy there.

As always, there’s more on our website! This week: fighting for women’s rights around the globe and on women holding national security positions in the Trump administration.

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ICYMI: NATO Retrenchment at Two Years: Not Working

“In the face of Russia’s aggressive policies, retrenchment reeks of timidity and insecurity, and does little to punish or appreciably dissuade Moscow from pursuing a foreign policy of permanent adventurism.” In the latest edition of the New America Weekly, Michael Cecire argues that NATO must focus on expansion in order to counter the growing aggression faced by European states.

Fortifying “fortress Europe” against the perceived threat of Russian aggression has done little to buttress the ailing condition of broader Euro-Atlantic security. Moscow’s intervention in Ukraine, if not as urgent or purposeful as it once appeared, remains flagrant and destructive, with little end in sight. Meanwhile, Russia has rescued Syria’s singularly destructive regime of Bashar al Assad from the edge of defeat and established a potent launch pad for projecting its military and political weight in the Eastern Mediterranean, elevating itself as a power broker in the Middle East.

Read the rest of the piece, and learn about the consequences of NATO’s next moves, at our website.

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This Week in the Weekly (144)

Beyond Binaries: Stark Oppositions Can’t Explain the Election Results

Hana Passen explains how the study of familiar binaries—Republican and Democrat, Latinx and White, and others—cannot explain the results of the election.

Silent Sacrifice: Military Spouse Unemployment in America

There must be a comprehensive changes to policy, promotion of honest dialogue and a change in culture within the military community to better support military spouses, argues Michelle Still Mehta.

The Normative Bait and Switch

The west has worked hard to differentiate its cybersecurity values from Russian and Chinese notions. While both sides agree on issues such as the protection of critical systems, they disagree on the treatment of information.

As always, there’s much more on our website! This week: California introduces a framework for teaching LGBTQ contributions, state and local law enforcement hacking capabilities, overwork in the American office, keeping the smart cities of the future safe, and UPenn’s sanctuary campus.

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Notable nonfiction books in 2016

‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ ‘Exit Right,’ ‘Engines of Liberty’ ‘White Trash’ and more

Peter Bergen's book, The United States of Jihad, and Rabia Chaudry's book, Adnan's Story, have been included in The Washington Post's "Notable Nonfiction Books in 2016" roundup.

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The New York Times "100 Notable Books of 2016" roundup included senior fellow Rosa Brooks’ book, How Everything Became War and the Military Became Everything: Tales From the Pentagon.

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This Week in the Weekly (143)

Stop Beating up on Journalism. Let’s Revive It.

Fuzz Hogan argues for a renewal in local journalism and suggests a few solutions to solve the difficulty of the civic information ecosystem and, in particular, the critical work of asking tough questions of leadership.

Rebuilding our Civic Muscles

As FDR once said, “Democracy is not a static thing. It is an everlasting march.” Hollie Russon-Gilman suggests we need to continue to engage in the critical work of governance—maintaining civic engagement with our communities.

When War Becomes an Easy Decision: Does a familiar phrase avoid the real costs of war?

Jeffrey W. Eggers, former U.S. Navy SEAL, reviews a new documentary which raises difficult questions about the struggles of veterans after war and the decisions of a country before war.

As always, there’s much more on our website! This week: the progress of dual language learners in some states, the lesson that Latin America has for the rise of Trump, the expansion of Indiana’s pre-K program, and how to boost the civic engagement of young people through civic engagement.

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These people have been barred from voting today because they’re in debt

In 30 states, ex-offenders who still owe fines or fees have their voting rights restricted.

Should outstanding fines exclude you from voting? The Washington Post’s Karin Martin and Anne Stuhldreher take a look at how debt can exclude you from the democratic process.

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This Week in the Weekly (140)

In this issue, our authors are exploring the ways openness is changing how we think about our society:

Open Up! Open Use Policies for Information Can Power Open Movements

Research and information produced with public funds should be made accessible to all, writes Lindsey Tepe.

International Policy and Open Government: No-Go Zone, or Leapfrogging Late Adapters?

Heather Hurlburt explores the idea that open government clashes with the traditions of foreign affairs, arguing that they don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

Opening the Tank

Anne-Marie Slaughter and Hana Passen describe what the open think tank would—and should—look like.

As always, there’s much more! This week: the costs of open government information, open technology's applications in everyday life, and the openness of democracy.

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This Week in the Weekly (139)

Military Care in America

Jeannette Haynie describes her experience with the military childcare system and why the benefits of adopting such a system do not necessarily outweigh the negatives.

The Expanding and Shrinking Lap of Luxury

Maria Elkin discusses how “luxury” apartments are changing the demographics of D.C.’s housing market. 

One Part of the Country Still Doesn’t Invest in Pre-K. Here’s Why.

Five states—Idaho, Montana, New Hampshire, South Dakota, and Wyoming—don’t provide any state funding towards pre-K. Daniel Loewenberg examines these “last holdouts.”

As always, there’s much more on our website! This week: the politics of populism in America, coding a way out of poverty in California, facts for cybersecurity awareness month, and the real-life implications of self-driving cars.

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This Week in the Weekly (138)

Investing in Hope: Innovative Finance for the World’s Refugees

Andrew Billo, Georgia Levenson Keohane, John Kluge and Christine Mahoney argue that we not only need more resources, but also smarter resources to tackle the world’s refugee crisis.

Georgian Democracy: An Island, Not a Beacon

Michael Cecire explains why Georgia did not lead its neighbors into democracy—and why labeling a country as such does not make it so.

In National Security and Foreign Policy, What Do American Women Have to Lose?

Erica Carvell asks, In national security and foreign policy, have women gained enough ground to be pushed back?

As always, there’s much more on our website! This week: the state of care in America, the digital bureaucracy in education, helping students in Texas move from one college to another, and the defense of DIY hacks.

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This Week in the Weekly (137)

How Child Care Providers Are Paying for a State's Budget Crisis

Alieza Durana details how Illinois, a state once known for being a leader in early education, is being forced to cut back on funding for programs and what that means for families, caregivers, and most importantly, children.

The Progressive Mayor of Seoul on Tweeting, Technology, and the Upcoming Korean Presidential Election

Park Won Soon, the mayor of Seoul, sat down for an interview to discuss his tenure, progressive social policies, and the future of Seoul in the 21st century.

Amending America's Actual Aristocracy

The U.S. armed forces should remove the current tiered rank structure in order to address structural issues of inequity and discrimination, argues David Spencer.

As always, there’s much more! This week: a view on what might be lost with the ousting of Brazil’s President Rousseff, the logistics behind the legalization of marijuana in California, and the future of electoral security.

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This Week in the Weekly (136)

Keep Your Friends Close and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Closer

Although our relationship with Saudi Arabia remains problematic, writes Douglas Ollivant, only by maintaining close ties can the U.S. hope to maintain a productive dialogue with Saudi society.

With Financial Liberty and Social Justice for All

Sade Bruce writes on the need for our financial institutions to become more inclusive and the role of race and stigma in the U.S. welfare system.

Hacking Democracy

In light of alleged hacking, the United States’ voting system is woefully in need of an upgrade, says Emily Fritcke.

As always, there’s much more on our website! This week: the revitalization of Fresno into a bustling hub for innovation, the impact of art on gun violence, and the resurgence of a Russian menace in the American imagination.

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This Week in the Weekly (135)

The Rise and Reign of the Welfare Queen

Rachel Black and Aleta Sprague write on the emergence of the “welfare queen” and how the perception of poverty in the U.S. must change.

Will D.C. Public Schools' Big Bet on Teacher Development Pay Off?

DC Public Schools is taking a new approach to teacher development that could help students learn the most challenging concepts, writes Kaylan Connally.

Democracy: A Contested American Value

Politics today is divided not just along ideological lines, but also in terms of visions of democracy, says Chayenne Polimédio.

There’s much more on our website! This week: prison reform in Texas in the wake of Sandra Bland’s death, the place for political correctness in comedy, and an interview with The New York Times Company CEO Mark Thompson on the force of political language.

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Doing well by doing good for the world

What if private investors leveraged the trillions of dollars under their management to do good for the world while doing well for their clients?

The Boston Globe highlights the work of New America’s Bretton Woods II program, which advocates for mobilization and investment of the some $25 trillion currently controlled by asset holders and private investors into issues such as infrastructure, food security, green energy, and good governance.

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This Week in the Weekly (134)

We Are Not Our Vote

Black Americans are much more diverse than the ballots they cast, writes Theodore Johnson.

Financial Security Should Be the Next Human Right

Portable benefits and a Universal Basic Income can ensure it becomes just that, says Natalie Foster.

The Time to Build Our Social Infrastructure? Right Now.

Greta Byrum argues that in this hurricane season, resilience should mean including and learning from all community members.

As always, there’s much more on our website! This week: the importance of mobility for low-income commuters, developing early childhood education as a profession, the role of luck on achieving success, and what “cyber” really means.

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New America at SXSWedu 2016

This year, the staff at New America has submitted for selection seven panels on some of the most important policy issues facing our country today: 1. @LisaGuernsey’s panel is on how touchscreens and apps are changing the way we think about early literacy education: http://bit.ly/2aDIkEi

2. @sarmorriso​ will be speaking about the challenges that now confront the internet’s promise of an accessible, affordable, and open space: http://bit.ly/2c4jpMz

3. Experts with expertise ranging from Silicon Valley to the White House to the hacker community will discuss the latest developments around the shadowy market for software vulnerabilities with @kevinbankston​​: http://bit.ly/2bVe4Yw

4. @RossSchulman will be discussing the decentralization of the internet and how that might affect the future of the internet as we know it: http://bit.ly/2cbvRt8

5. @ekowohighered’s panel will be discussing the ethics behind “big data” and how predictive analytics are being used to support underrepresented students: http://bit.ly/2biF6rB

6. The boot camp training model has the potential to close the skills gap and bolster hiring efforts for middle-class jobs. @byron​_auguste’s panel will be discussing this new wave in skills training: http://bit.ly/2bAS344

7. @TomicahTD will be discussing how bitcoin and blockchain technology can be utilized to secure online voting, fight corruption, and address major social and governance problems in today’s world: http://bit.ly/2bCv6e4

Vote for your favorite panel ideas by Sept. 2nd!

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She famously said that women can’t have it all. Now she realizes that no one can.

After her controversial Atlantic article, Anne-Marie Slaughter had a change of heart.

Highlighting how society often undervalues stay-at-home and non-lead parents, our President and CEO Anne-Marie Slaughter spoke to the Washington Post about the gender and equality gap between breadwinners and caregivers and how in retrospect, her opinion on the issue has evolved.