The new year will bring a new Congress and, soon after, a new occupant of the White House. City Journal began preparing for this moment in the summer of 2023, when we set out to create a roadmap for a more prosperous, hopeful American future. Looking toward the 2024 elections, we asked leading policy scholars and practitioners to examine some of the most pressing challenges facing American society and to present concrete reform proposals that could be readily implemented by the next presidential administration.

The result: a series of symposia offering prescriptions for rolling back DEI within the federal government; improving public safety and criminal justice; supercharging economic growth; combatting resurgent anti-Semitism; rehabilitating higher education; and addressing the nation’s tragic mental-health crisis.

These issues touch every American, and every American can benefit from a deeper understanding of the challenges the incoming administration faces and the realistic options that exist for addressing them. We can think of no better place to start than in the pages of City Journal.

If you would like to receive a printed copy of our collected symposia, please e-mail us.

Sincerely,

Brian C. Anderson
Editor, City Journal

 

How to Defeat Left-Wing Racialism

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Wade Miller Defund the Left

Dismantling taxpayer-funded supply lines is critical to defeating wokeness in the federal government.

Aug 09 2023
Dan Morenoff Mobilize the Department of Justice Against Racialist Discrimination

Two key initiatives would represent a starting point for reestablishing a commitment to equality for all.

Aug 09 2023
Ilya Shapiro Force Open Debate on Campus

Under the guise of promoting a welcoming campus environment, DEI offices are enforcing progressive ideology—external controls, tied to federal funding, are needed.

Aug 09 2023
David E. Bernstein Roll Back Racial Classifications

Racial and ethnic categories under the federal government’s Directive 15 are arbitrary and inconsistent, both in how they are defined and how they are enforced.

Aug 09 2023
James Sherk Balance the Federal Workforce—Intellectually

The woke employees who dominate the bureaucracy have no interest in combating ideological discrimination.

Aug 09 2023
Judge Glock End Minority Contracting

The policy has produced corruption and fraud, worsened racial tensions, and cost taxpayers billions of dollars.

Aug 09 2023

A New Anticrime Agenda

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John M. MacDonald Understand—and Act On—the Realities of Criminal Offending

Facts and proven policies should guide effective reforms.

Nov 13 2023
Heather Mac Donald Tell the Truth About Law Enforcement and Crime

Until we relinquish the idea that policing activity against black criminals is racist, restoring law and order in our cities will be impossible.

Nov 13 2023
Rafael A. Mangual Learn from Past Successes on Gun Violence

Policing, prosecuting, and punishing criminal activity in high-crime areas makes a real difference.

Nov 14 2023
Stephen Eide Pursue an Orderly Streets Agenda

Though the most direct way to address urban disorder is through a change in city leadership, some federal-level policy solutions are worthwhile.

Nov 14 2023
James A. Gagliano Fix the FBI

Politicization has eroded public confidence in the bureau. We can wait no longer to begin addressing it.

Nov 17 2023
Devon Kurtz Rehabilitate First, Release Second

Rather than pushing dangerous policies, reformers should focus their efforts on making prisons better at “correcting” individuals.

Nov 16 2023
Charles Fain Lehman Combat the Drug Crisis

We need a comprehensive commitment to getting people off drugs and deterring them from starting drug use.

Nov 20 2023
Hannah E. Meyers Create a Crime-Research Powerhouse

Without federal investment in innovative research, any reimagining of law enforcement will look more like daydreaming.

Nov 21 2023
Christopher F. Rufo Disrupt Violent Left-Wing Networks

Americans must become confident again that their government will enforce the law, without fear or favor.

Nov 27 2023
John Paul Wright Reinvest in Carceral Facilities

Jails and prisons remain crucial institutions—but they can both work better.

Nov 28 2023

An Economic Agenda for the Next President

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Michael Gibson Restore American Innovation

The U.S. faces a crisis of ingenuity—but some straightforward policy changes can help turn things around.

Jan 31 2024
Stephen Miran How to “Build American” Right

Aggressive supply-side reforms would make producing in the U.S. much cheaper.

Feb 12 2024
Michael Lucci To Check China, Unlock American Industry

State and federal policies should defend the industrial power of free nations while defunding the technologies of totalitarianism.

Feb 13 2024
Eric Olson, Lauren Agpoon Simplify Permitting and Unleash Energy Production

Streamlining approvals will unlock investment in reliable and affordable energy projects—and ease the burden on Americans’ wallets.

Feb 08 2024
Chris Pope One More Chance to Improve Obamacare

To reduce coverage costs and encourage more people to enroll in plans while healthy, Republicans should demand changes to insurance-pricing rules.

Feb 07 2024
Brian Riedl Replace the Debt Limit

It’s time for a law capping the size of the federal debt at 100 percent of potential GDP.

Feb 06 2024
Allison Schrager Scrap the Dot Plot

The Fed should stop publishing its projections of future interest rates, which prove only that the economy is unpredictable—and undermine the central bank’s credibility.

Feb 02 2024
Erica York Toward a Fairer Tax Code

The next administration should strip away subsidies for favored firms and implement full expensing of investments for all domestic companies.

Feb 05 2024

Fighting the Oldest Hate

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Reihan Salam Embrace Pluralism over Racialism

All of us, Jewish or not, have an interest in defeating the racialist ideology that enables anti-Semitism to flourish.

Apr 21 2024
Daniel Di Martino Stop Importing Foreign Hatred

America should be a haven for the virtuous and persecuted, not for the persecutors.

Apr 29 2024
Ilya Shapiro Abolish Anti-Semitic Student Groups

The government may prohibit even nonviolent “material support” for terrorist organizations, including legal support and other advice, without violating the First Amendment.

Apr 24 2024
Jonathan Pidluzny Stop the Mideast Money Fueling Campus Anti-Semitism

Multimillion-dollar donations to Middle East studies centers and departments have advanced Islamist ideology and fostered Jew-hatred at U.S. universities.

Apr 23 2024
Richard Goldberg Crack Down on Anti-Semitic K–12 Curricula

It’s not just on campus: even in primary and secondary education, Jews are often portrayed as privileged whites and Zionist colonial oppressors.

Apr 30 2024
David M. Pollock Keep Congregations Safe

Houses of worship can take several steps to harden their facilities against attack—but ultimately, security cannot be left solely to the professionals.

May 02 2024
Max Raskin Let Jews Carry Guns

New York and other states have tried to prevent gun possession by religious observers, but there is both a physical and psychological demand for self-sufficient personal security.

May 03 2024
Raymond Kelly, Hannah E. Meyers Let Officers Control Unruly Protests

City leaders should work to restore authority and flexibility to law enforcement.

May 07 2024
Eitan Fischberger Confront Anti-Westernism

Resurgent anti-Semitism isn’t just an issue for the Jewish community—it’s a warning for all who value the ideals upon which America was built.

May 08 2024

Which Way the University

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John J. DiIulio, Jr. Third Time’s a Charm?

The latest wave of conservative critiques of elite universities might make a real difference.

Aug 26 2024
Wilfred M. McClay Free Speech Is Not Enough

A university is not just a stage for debate but an agency of cultural conservation.

Aug 26 2024
John Tierney DEI v. Science

The preference for dogma over scientific inquiry on campuses has become increasingly prevalent.

Aug 27 2024
Allison Schrager Demystify the Ivies

A loss of trust and stature could be just what our elite universities need in order to fix themselves.

Aug 27 2024
Preston Cooper Is College Still Worth It?

College can be a path to a better life—but not always, and we need to be more honest in helping young people make informed decisions.

Aug 28 2024
Andrew Gillen Accreditation Is Broken; Can It Be Fixed?

The current system is not serving the needs of colleges, parents, or students.

Aug 28 2024
Tim Rosenberger Make Schools Bear Some of the Risk of Student Loans

Holding colleges and universities financially responsible is the quickest way to ensure that higher education provides good value.

Aug 29 2024
Christopher F. Rufo The Difficult Work of Academic Reform

New College of Florida enters its second year under new leadership.

Aug 17 2024
Joe Lonsdale Building a New University on Firm Foundations

This fall, the University of Austin (UATX) welcomes its inaugural class.

Aug 29 2024

Top photo: Douglas Rissing/iStock