Citizens across America and throughout the free world ask: What is happening to the old order and what will replace it? What comes next?

At such a time we at Hoover should reflect deeply on the work that we have done and our willingness to challenge our assumptions going forward. We are scholars—but we are citizens too. This is a moment for us to respond as both.

We are launching a Hoover Initiative to envision an Economic and Security Commons. ‘Economic and security commons’ is a phrase George Shultz liked. It expresses a vision of people and societies who share our commitment to freedom, coming together around common problems we face at this pivot of world history. We should envision what comes next through the rest of the 2020s. 

Our initiative should encompass economics, security, and technology, cutting across the usual disciplinary divides to develop concrete ideas about how America and its partners might adapt to this new era. As we celebrate our country’s 250th birthday, work to map the global and political landscape will combine with teams focusing on nearly thirty specific topics to open up fresh conversations about ways to renew free societies and the American example.