The Hoover Institution Center for Revitalizing American Institutions webinar series features speakers who are developing innovative ideas, conducting groundbreaking research, and taking important actions to improve trust and efficacy in American institutions. Speaker expertise and topics span governmental institutions, civic organizations and practice, and the role of public opinion and culture in shaping our democracy. The webinar series builds awareness about how we can individually and collectively revitalize American institutions to ensure our country’s democracy delivers on its promise. The seventh session discussed Building Strategic Competence: An Urgent Priority for Government and the Academy with H.R. McMaster and Stephen Kotkin on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, from 10:00 - 11:00 am PT. We might define strategic competence as the ability to integrate all elements of national power and efforts of like-minded partners to advance US interests. The nation needs leaders who can think in real time and understand what it takes to implement ideas and strategies on the ground. The academy has an important role in educating leaders to compete effectively in war and in competitions short of war. A reinvigoration of history in higher-level education is particularly important, as many courses in diplomatic and military history have been displaced by theory-based courses, which tend to mask the complex causality of events and obscure the cultural, psychological, social, and economic elements that distinguish cases from one another. Some theories risk sapping students of strategic empathy and encourage them to reduce complex problem sets into frameworks that create only the illusion of understanding. A growing interest in applied history in some universities is a promising development.

Hoover Senior Fellow Šumit Ganguly and Hoover Research Fellow Dinsha Mistree hosted a panel discussion and reception for the launch of "The Hoover Institution's Survey of India" at the Hoover Institution's Washington, DC office on Wednesday, April 30 from 5:30-6:30 pm ET. The panel discussion featured a conversation with Senior Fellow Šumit Ganguly, twenty-fifth US Ambassador to the Republic of India Ambassador Kenneth I. Juster, Ashoka University Visiting Professor Ambassador Shivshankar Menon and Hoover Research Fellow Dinsha Mistree.

On behalf of Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific Region and its National Security Task Force the Hoover Institution held a Taiwan Roundtable Discussion on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, from 5:00 - 6:00 pm PT.

The Hoover Institution Program on the US, China, and the World hosted Digital Authoritarianism and Strategies to Promote a Democratic Digital Future, on Monday, April 28, 2025 from 4:00 – 5:30 PM PT in the Shultz Auditorium, George P. Shultz Building.    The People's Republic of China is collecting and analyzing unprecedented volumes of data from both public and private sources, within and beyond its borders, for social control. It is leveraging advanced data-centric technologies such as artificial intelligence, neuro and immersive technologies, quantum computing, and digital currencies to enhance and export its authoritarian governance model. This has led to an erosion of privacy, personal freedoms, and a climate of fear and self-censorship within the PRC. As the PRC exports its technologies to other countries, these authoritarian practices may spread globally. What are the most effective strategies for democratic societies to prevent the misuse of emerging technologies for surveillance and control by authoritarian regimes? How can we effectively track and monitor the global spread of data-centric authoritarian practices? What approaches can democratic governments and civil society adopt to develop and promote privacy-preserving solutions that offer viable alternatives to authoritarian methods, while ensuring accountability, transparency, and the protection of human rights? How can we engineer democratic values into the architectures of our technology platforms? In this event, our panel will examine the unique aspects of the PRC’s approach to digital authoritarianism and the opportunities for a democratic response. 

Wednesday, April 30, 2025 Hoover Institution | Stanford University The Hoover Institution Center for Revitalizing American Institutions webinar series features speakers who are developing innovative ideas, conducting groundbreaking research, and taking important actions to improve trust and efficacy in American institutions. Speaker expertise and topics span governmental institutions, civic organizations and practice, and the role of public opinion and culture in shaping our democracy. The webinar series builds awareness about how we can individually and collectively revitalize American institutions to ensure our country’s democracy delivers on its promise. The sixth session discussed How Foreign Speech Restrictions Affect American Free Expression with Jacob Mchangama and Eugene Volokh on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, from 10:00 - 11:00 am PT. Much of our speech to each other uses technology created by companies that operate throughout the world such as Google, Meta (Facebook), X, Microsoft, Amazon, and Apple. Because these companies operate worldwide, they are potentially vulnerable to pressures from the countries in which they operate—if Google has assets or people in Germany or Turkey, then the German or Turkish government can force them to comply with German or Turkish law. So long as countries have tried to regulate what tech companies do in their countries (e.g., what information Google shows to readers in Germany or Turkey), foreign restrictions end up having relatively little effect on what Americans can say to other Americans. But foreign countries are increasingly asking for worldwide restraints on things that are said on various multinational platforms (for instance, anything said anywhere about those countries’ citizens or politicians), sharply risking undermining American’s free speech rights.

The Hoover History Lab hosted a Book Talk with Dan Edelstein - A Revolution to Come: A History of an Idea from Thucydides to Lenin on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 from 11:30 am - 1:00 pm PT.

The Hoover Institution held a Fireside Chat With Stephen Kotkin & US House Select Committee on China on Thursday, April 17th at 8:00am PT/11:00am ET.

The Hoover Project on Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific Region hosted Trump and Taiwan: A Big, Beautiful Relationship or the Deal Maker’s Ultimate Bargaining Chip? on Tuesday, April 8, 2025 from 4:00-5:15 pm PT at Shultz Auditorium, George P. Shultz Building.

Join Hoover fellow and Director of the Hoover Institution’s Wargaming and Crisis Simulation Initiative Jacquelyn Schneider for the launch of her new book ”The Hand Behind Unmanned: Origins of the US Autonomous Military Arsenal” at the Hoover Institution in Washington, DC on Wednesday, March 26, from 5:30 - 7:15pm ET.

From the boxing ring to Hoover, Mike shares his journey and the mission behind Frontline Voices.

Wednesday, February 19, 2025 Hoover Institution | Stanford University The Hoover Institution Center for Revitalizing American Institutions webinar series features speakers who are developing innovative ideas, conducting groundbreaking research, and taking important actions to improve trust and efficacy in American institutions. Speaker expertise and topics span governmental institutions, civic organizations and practice, and the role of public opinion and culture in shaping our democracy. The webinar series builds awareness about how we can individually and collectively revitalize American institutions to ensure our country’s democracy delivers on its promise. The fifth session discussed Tested: Why Conservative Students Get the Most out of Liberal Education with Lauren A. Wright and Brandice Canes-Wrone on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, from 10:00 - 11:00 am PT. Recent critiques of America’s elite universities have aptly asserted that college students are being coddled and shielded from points of view they disagree with, setting them up for failure. But this depiction excludes the starkly divergent experiences of conservative students, who face extraordinary intellectual and social challenges inside and outside college classrooms. These obstacles are double edged: while they expose conservative students to adverse and sometimes hostile social environments, decades of psychology research also shows they may ironically impart educational advantages by forcing conservative students to defend their points of view. Are conservative students being better prepared than liberal students for life after college by constantly engaging in a more rigorous mode of thinking? This is the first ever ethnography of conservative college students at the best universities in the United States. Featuring hundreds of interviews with students and faculty, it fills a gap in timely conversations about intellectual diversity in higher education.

The Hoover Institution Applied History Working Group (HAHWG), chaired by Milbank Family Senior Fellow Niall Ferguson, and vice-chaired by Hoover Fellow Joseph Ledford, held its annual History Symposium on February 11, 2025.

The Hoover Institution held an event titled, "India's Policy Landscape: Insights from the Survey of India," on Tuesday, January 28th, 2025, at 12 p.m. PT in the Annenberg Conference Room, George P. Shultz Building, and online (via Zoom). This event discussed India's current policy landscape, using the Hoover Institution's inaugural edition of the Survey of India as a foundation for the discussion. The Survey of India is a comprehensive volume that provides an overview of developments in India across various policy arenas, including foreign policy, demography, economics, and education. Each of its eight chapters offers a panoramic view and an authoritative account of specific policy issues that are collectively shaping India's trajectory. ​ FEATURING - Šumit Ganguly, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and Director of the Huntington Program on Strengthening the US-India Relationship. - Jack A. Goldstone, Virginia E. and John T. Hazel, Jr. Chair Professor of Public Policy at George Mason University. - Dinsha Mistree, Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution and Research Affiliate at Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and at the Neukom Center for the Rule of Law at Stanford Law School. - Nirvikar Singh, Co-Director of the Center for Analytical Finance at UCSC and the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Economics, Management and Religion.

A discussion with three of America's most distinguished former governors - Jeb Bush (Florida), Jerry Brown (California), and Mitch Daniels (Indiana) - exploring the critical relationship between states and the federal government. Moderated by Michael Boskin, this conversation examines how these innovative leaders managed natural disasters, educational reform, fiscal challenges, and infrastructure development. The three distinguished former governors share candid insights about dealing with federal regulations, balancing budgets during boom and bust cycles, and implementing effective education reforms. Highlights include Jeb Bush's groundbreaking education initiatives in Florida, Jerry Brown's fiscal management in California, and Mitch Daniels' successful privatization efforts in Indiana. This timely conversation offers valuable lessons for current policymakers and insights into effective governance at both state and federal levels. Featuring: Jeb Bush, Former Governor of Florida (1999-2007) Jerry Brown, Former Governor of California (1975-1983, 2011-2019) Mitch Daniels, Former Governor of Indiana (2005-2013) Moderator: Michael Boskin, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution To learn more, read "American Federalism Today" by the Hoover Institution: https://www.hoover.org/research/american-federalism-today Part of the Tennenbaum Program for Fact-Based Policy at the Hoover Institution: https://www.hoover.org/research-teams/tennenbaum-program-fact-based-policy 

Tuesday, January 14, 2025 Hoover Institution | Stanford University The Hoover Institution Center for Revitalizing American Institutions webinar series features speakers who are developing innovative ideas, conducting groundbreaking research, and taking important actions to improve trust and efficacy in American institutions. Speaker expertise and topics span governmental institutions, civic organizations and practice, and the role of public opinion and culture in shaping our democracy. The webinar series builds awareness about how we can individually and collectively revitalize American institutions to ensure our country’s democracy delivers on its promise. The fourth session discusses Restoring Trust in American Elections: Challenges and Opportunities with Benjamin Ginsberg, Justin Grimmer, and Brandice Canes-Wrone on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, from 10:00 - 11:00 am PT. Public faith in the reliability of American elections has been eroding for decades with both political parties voicing concerns at times since the 1980s. Democrats have often pointed to issues like voter suppression and systemic inequities, while many Republicans have embraced claims of widespread fraud. Since 2016, and particularly following the 2020 election, polls have shown a more precipitous drop in the public’s trust in elections. These divisions have raised critical questions: Are election results reliable? Is distrust in elections now an enduring feature of American political campaigns and does that impact the democracy? Are we destined to cycle through accusations of fraud and suppression with every contested result?  What have we learned from the 2024 election process? 

The Hoover Institution held a conversation with President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Mary C. Daly and Hoover Institution Senior Fellow, John H. Cochrane on Emerging Technology and the Economy on Friday, December 6th at 10:00 a.m. in the Shultz Auditorium, George P. Shultz Building.

Wednesday, November 20, 2024Hoover Institution | Stanford University On behalf of the Hoover Applied History Working Group, Dr. Niall Ferguson welcomes Anthony Gregory to vibrantly discuss his recent book, New Deal Law and Order: How the War on Crime Built the Modern Liberal State. ABOUT THE TALK This special book talk discovers how the 1930s redefined law and order, transforming liberalism and reshaping American government itself. We remember the New Deal as foundational to modern liberalism, but its crucial role in building the law-and-order state has gone neglected. This HAHWG seminar will look to Franklin Roosevelt’s war on crime for lessons on how political legitimacy relies on enforcement authority and consider the implications for today’s fraught politics of law and order. The book is available for purchase here. ABOUT THE SPEAKER Anthony Gregory is a Hoover Fellow at the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace, at Stanford University. He is a legal and policy historian of the American state. He was previously an assistant professor in residence at Rhode Island School of Design’s Department of History, Philosophy, and Social Sciences. He earned his PhD in History at the University of California Berkeley, where he trained as an Americanist studying politics and law, and spent two years as a postdoctoral research associate at Brown University’s Political Theory Project before beginning at RISD. Gregory is the author of multiple academic publications on national security, constitutionalism, and legal theory and is currently working on modern American liberalism and criminal justice, particularly on how the New Deal war on crime legitimated and transformed U.S. governance.

The third session discusses Polling: What Is on the Minds of Americans with David Brady, Doug Rivers, Daron Shaw, Lynn Vavreck, and Brandice Canes-Wrone on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, from 10:00 - 11:00 am PT.

The Hoover Institution Program on the US, China, and the World held Critical Issues in the US-China Science and Technology Relationship on Thursday, November 7th, 2024 from 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm PT at the Annenberg Conference Room, George P. Shultz Building.

Thursday, October 24, 2024, from 10:00 - 11:00 am PT Hoover Institution | Stanford University The Hoover Institution Center for Revitalizing American Institutions is proud to announce a new webinar series called "Reimagining American Institutions." The Hoover Institution Center for Revitalizing American Institutions webinar series features speakers who are developing innovative ideas, conducting groundbreaking research, and taking important actions to improve trust and efficacy in American institutions. Speaker expertise and topics span governmental institutions, civic organizations and practice, and the role of public opinion and culture in shaping our democracy. The webinar series builds awareness about how we can individually and collectively revitalize American institutions to ensure our country’s democracy delivers on its promise. In part two of our series on presidential transitions, Stephen Hadley, national security advisor, speaks with Condoleezza Rice, director of the Hoover Institution and national security advisor and secretary of state, about how an effective changing of the guard is critical to national security. Hadley will highlight advice from Hand-Off, an edited volume of thirty declassified National Security Council memoranda prepared by experts to smooth the transition between the Bush and Obama administrations. This conversation will focus on what must happen in the upcoming transition to ensure the United States is kept secure from national security threats posed by China, Russia, the Middle East, terrorism, proliferation, cybersecurity pandemics, and climate change—concerns that dominate America’s national security and foreign policy.