Danielle Allen
Professor of Public Policy, James Bryant Conant University Professor
After Neoliberalism: From Left to Right
Presented by the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation
December 11-12, 2025
Cambridge, MA
In-Person Event
About the Conference
Across the political spectrum, a contest is underway over the future of political economy. From “inclusive abundance” and “power-sharing liberalism” to the “patriot economy,” scholars and policymakers are advancing competing paradigms that seek to respond to deep structural challenges in our economy, politics, and society.
This two-day conference will bring together hundreds of leading thinkers — including scholars, policymakers from the Left and Right, journalists, and civic innovators — to explore and debate these emerging visions. Together, we will discuss their normative foundations, core economic assumptions, and practical implications for issues ranging from public goods to the governance of artificial intelligence.
Rather than endorsing a single framework, this gathering will surface the full range of new thinking in the field, test the strength of competing ideas, and explore where there is potential for convergence — or principled disagreement.
Advance registration is required for all attendees. Register here.
Featured Speakers
Daron Acemoglu
Institute Professor of Economics, MIT
Yoni Appelbaum
Deputy Executive Editor, The Atlantic
Heather Boushey
Senior Fellow, Reimagining the Economy, Harvard Kennedy School
Jedediah Britton-Purdy
Raphael Lemkin Professor of Law, Duke Law School
D. Graham Burnett
Henry Charles Lea Professor of History, Princeton University
Oren Cass
Chief Economist, American Compass
Katherine Cramer
Natalie C. Holton Chair of Letters & Science and Virginia Sapiro Professor of Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Jason Furman
Aetna Professor of the Practice of Economic Policy
Jack Goldsmith
Learned Hand Professor of Law, Harvard Law School
Gordon Hanson
Peter Wertheim Professor in Urban Policy
Zoë Hitzig
Research Scientist, OpenAI
Julius Krein
Editor, American Affairs
Margaret Levi
Professor Emerita of Political Science, Stanford
Bradford Littlejohn
Director of Programs and Education, American Compass
Kadeem Noray
Assistant Professor, Harvard Business School
Jen Pahlka
Board Chair, Recoding America Fund
Manuel Pastor
Director, USC Equity Research Institute
Lydia Polgreen
Opinion Columnist, The New York Times
Gerard Robinson
Professor of Practice in Public Policy in Law, University of Virginia
Rashad Robinson
Social Justice Leader, Strategist and Author
Dani Rodrik
Ford Foundation Professor of International Political Economy, Harvard University
Allison Schrager
Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute
Luma Simms
Fellow, Ethics and Public Policy Center
Anne-Marie Slaughter
CEO, New America
Erica Smiley
Executive Director, Jobs with Justice
Bri Stensrud
Director, Women of Welcome
Matt Stoller
Director of Research, American Economic Liberties Project
Brandon Terry
John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Social Sciences, Harvard University
Shane Tews
Nonresident Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
Emma Waters
Policy Analyst, The Heritage Foundation
Jeremy Weinstein
Dean of Faculty, Harvard Kennedy School
Don K. Price Professor of Public Policy, HKS; Professor of Government, FAS
Glen Weyl
Research Lead, Microsoft Research, Plural Technology Collaboratory & Founder, RadicalxChange Foundation
Felicia Wong
Principal, Roosevelt Institute
Kate Woodsome
Founder and Publisher, Invisible Threads
Agenda
Thursday, December 11, 2025
8:00 AM
Breakfast & Registration
9:00 AM
Welcoming Remarks
- Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor, Harvard University
9:30 AM
Neoliberalism Is Dead: What World Are We In Now?
- Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO, New America – Moderator
- Heather Boushey, Senior Fellow, Reimagining the Economy, Harvard Kennedy School
- Jason Furman, Aetna Professor of the Practice of Economic Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
- Kadeem Noray, Asst. Professor, Harvard Business School
10:30 AM
Telling the Stories of Contemporary Crisis
- Kathy Cramer, Natalie C. Holton Chair of Letter & Science and Virginia Sapiro Professor of Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison – Moderator
- D. Graham Burnett, Henry Charles Lea Professor, Princeton University
- Bri Stensrud, Director, Women of Welcome
- Kate Woodsome, Founder & Publisher, Invisible Threads
11:30 AM
Next Gen Governance: Legislating A Post-Neoliberal Future
Speakers TBA
12:15 PM
Lunch
1:15 PM
Remarks
- Jeremy Weinstein, Dean & Don K. Price Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
1:30 PM
Where Do We Go From Here: From Left To Right
- Margaret Levi, Professor of Political Science, Stanford University – Moderator
- Manuel Pastor, Director, USC Equity Research Institute
- Dani Rodrik, Ford Foundation Professor of International Political Economy, Harvard Kennedy School
- Allison Schrager, Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute
- Matt Stoller, Director of Research, American Economic Liberties Project
2:30 PM
Break
3:00 PM
Applications Of A New Paradigm: Technology Development
- E. Glen Weyl, Research Lead, Microsoft – Moderator
- Daron Acemoglu, Institute Professor of Economics, MIT
- Zoë Kettler Hitzig, Research Scientist, OpenAI
- Emma Waters, Policy Analyst, The Heritage Foundation
4:00 PM
Applications Of A New Paradigm: Family, Migration & Demographic Transformation
- Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor, Harvard University – Moderator
- Yoni Appelbaum, Deputy Executive Editor, The Atlantic
- Bradford Littlejohn, Director of Programs & Education, American Compass
- Lydia Polgreen, Opinion Columnist, The New York Times
- Luma Simms, Fellow, Ethics & Public Policy Center
5:00 PM
Closing Remarks
- Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor, Harvard University
5:15 PM
Reception
6:30 PM
Speakers Dinner
Invitation Only
Friday, December 12, 2025
8:00 AM
Breakfast
9:00 AM
Opening Remarks
- Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor, Harvard University
9:15 AM
Applications Of A New Paradigm: Housing, Health, Education & Jobs
- Brandon Terry, John L. Loeb Assoc. Professor of the Social Sciences, Harvard University – Moderator
- Gordon Hanson, Peter Wetheim Professor in Urban Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
- Gerard Robinson, Professor of Practice in Public Policy & Law, University of Virginia
- Erica Smiley, Executive Director, Jobs with Justice
- Felicia Wong, Principal, Roosevelt Institute
10:15 AM
Applications Of A New Paradigm: Democracy, Effective Governance & State Capacity
- Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor, Harvard University – Moderator
- Jedediah Britton-Purdy, Raphael Lemkin Professor of Law, Duke Law School
- Jack Goldsmith, Learned Hand Professor of Law, Harvard Law School
- Julius Krein, Editor, American Affairs
- Jennifer Pahlka, Board Chair, Recoding America Fund
- Rashad Robinson, Social Justice Leader, Strategist & Author
11:30 AM
Reflections & Looking Ahead
- Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor, Harvard University
12:00 PM
Table Topic Breakouts & Lunch
Topics TBA
2:00 PM
Conclusion
Inquiries
For any questions, please reach out to events@afterneoliberalism.com.
This project is made possible by funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.