The Hoover Institution is committed to the idea that policy research should seek to identify solutions at the state and local levels, where governments are best positioned to improve educational outcomes, stimulate economic growth, spur innovation, and respond to citizens’ needs. To accomplish this goal of empowering states and localities across America, the Hoover Institution partners with a diverse range of state agencies and lawmakers. This line of effort continued to expand in 2024. The aim of collaborations with state and local partners is to produce data-driven policy recommendations on key issues such as economic development, public-sector pensions, energy policy, tax and fiscal policy, and other policy areas. This approach leverages the strengths of America’s federal system of government to advance effective policy reforms.
Convening Policy Discussions for State and Local Governance, Indigenous Communities
On May 20–21, the Hoover Institution convened 20 chiefs of staff and senior advisors to US governors, as well as members of the National Governors Association, for a State and Local Leadership Forum. Hoover Institution director Condoleezza Rice welcomed the group and spoke with them about what she believes are the most pressing challenges America faces today. Other presentations included Distinguished Visiting Fellow Ben Ginsberg speaking about safeguarding the US election system. Participants received an introduction to the Stanford Emerging Technology Review by fellow in cyber policy and security Herb Lin; they also were able to tour Stanford’s Synthetic Biology Lab with Hoover science fellow and Stanford associate professor of bioengineering Drew Endy. Senior Fellow Larry Diamond and Distinguished Research Fellow Glenn Tiffert concluded the conference with a discussion about Beijing’s influence operations in the United States.
The Hoover Institution welcomed state legislators and representatives of the National Conference of State Legislatures on November 18–19 for another presentation of the State and Local Leadership Forum. The bipartisan gathering included 18 state legislative leaders from all regions of the country. Because legislative leaders are facing new challenges with international investment and influence in their states, the agenda primarily addressed the international landscape, as well as developments in emerging technology. Speakers included Director Condoleezza Rice, senior fellows Drew Endy, Philip Zelikow, and Russell A. Berman, and a number of other Hoover scholars. Topics included how to handle influence efforts by Chinese diplomats, the rise and risks of generative AI, NATO, and opportunities for research collaboration with Hoover scholars.
Indigenous students and young professionals hoping to foster robust economic activity in their local communities gathered for the Indigenous Student Seminar at the Hoover Institution on August 5–9. The fifth annual weeklong gathering brought together students and recent graduates from the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia to reinvigorate the entrepreneurial spirit demonstrated by Indigenous peoples for millennia, propel regulatory changes to help Indigenous groups chart their own economic paths, and discuss the seemingly endless array of colonial barriers to development. The seminar is part of the Renewing Indigenous Economies Project at the Hoover Institution, directed by Hoover senior fellows Terry Anderson and Dominic Parker and administered and moderated by Gonzaga University professor of entrepreneurship Daniel Stewart.