An Aspirational Path for American Conservatism

You are invited to a discussion with Ryan Streeter and Steve Goldsmith on the future of conservatism today as outlined in a recent paper, An Aspirational Path for American Conservatism. Ryan Streeter is the vice president for research and publications at University of Texas at Austin’s Civitas Institute and most recently served as director of domestic policy at the American Enterprise Institute. Goldsmith is the Derek Bok Professor of the Practice of Urban Policy at Harvard Kennedy School.

Lunch will be served.

Office Hours

In addition to this event, interested Harvard faculty, fellows, and students can sign up for office hours here to meet with Ryan Streeter. Slots are first come, first serve and are available from 1:30 – 3:30PM on April 3rd.

Signup for office hours

About the Paper

Stephen Goldsmith and Ryan Streeter argue that the Republican Party is philosophically adrift, and it has been for a while. This is not only bad for the Party’s political future but bad for the country and its democracy by depriving voters of meaningful choice in ideas, they argue. The United States’ socioeconomic progress over the past 250 years, however uneven, can be attributed to the interplay of competing ideas on how to achieve progress. Central to the competition is how we understand individual rights and responsibilities, fairness and justice, and the definition of progress itself. When our political parties lose their ability to articulate governing principles and resort instead to defining themselves as the opposite of their enemies, the competition of ideas stagnates—and so does the condition of the country.

Event Details

Registration is required for this event. Please register using the link above. This event is in-person only and will be recorded. A recording will be posted later to this events page and sent to all registrants.

The Ash Center encourages individuals with disabilities to participate in its events. Should you wish to inquire about an accommodation, please contact our events team at info@ash.harvard.edu prior to the event.

Additional questions? Email the Ash Center events team at info@ash.harvard.edu.