Third Way

Please note that for this program, and for all of the organization's programs, all reports developed by Third Way are made available to the general public through its website: www.thirdway.org.climate and energy our work in 2023 responded directly to the historic passage of the inflation reduction act, bipartisan infrastructure law, and chips science law which now provides the u.s. The opportunity to develop, deploy, and export the clean energy the u.s. and the rest of the world needs to address climate change and importantly, address national security, economic, and competitiveness imperatives. Throughout 2023 we worked in the following three areas: 1) we channeled the investments from both the inflation reduction act (ira) and the bipartisan infrastructure law (bil) into the proper avenues to maximize impact, 2) we told the story of these wins as economic opportunities that benefit the american people and their communities, and 3) we worked to reform the permitting process to remove obstacles that stand in the Way of constructing massive clean energy projects. We channeled the investments from both the inflation reduction act (ira) and the bipartisan infrastructure law:* published 10 memos on how america can compete in specific clean energy technologies including: advanced nuclear, carbon capture, decarbonization, hydrogen, electric vehicles, and clean steel. We have met with hundreds of policymakers in congress, the administration, and labor unions, and ngo leaders to raise awareness of our proposals. * we held workshops on developing a clean energy industrial strategy focused on effective modes of operationalizing and building a strategy, and ways in which ngos can bolster public-private partnerships to support the effort. Attendees included staff from the white house, office of management and budget, argonne national laboratory, council on foreign relations, atlantic council, roosevelt institute, international trade administration, business roundtable, among others.told the story of these wins as an economic win that benefits the american people and their communities: we conducted and leveraged original public opinion research to reframe clean energy as a key tool for america's economic and geopolitical security and as means of sparking job creation, reducing costs, and building opportunities for all americans. This research will translate into critical messaging and communications materials to help create durability for clean energy investment. We worked to reform the permitting process to remove obstacles that stand in the Way of constructing massive clean energy projects: the historic federal investments and incentives passed in 2021 and 2022 accelerated a race to address climate change, scale clean energy infrastructure, and compete with authoritarian states led by russia and china. However, using federal funds to catalyze private sector investment is only half the battle. We launched a program to identify and quantify the diverse and disparate nature of our remaining clean energy roadblocks that threaten to hamper progress and will lay the foundation for a robust policy roadmap to guide future action.

Economics program in 2023, our economic program focused on three core areas: 1) making the middle class more affordable and attainable for non-college educated workers; 2) strengthening the affordable care act and lowering costs; and 3) expanding awareness of entrepreneurial inequity in america.non-college educated workers: there are 109 million working-age adults without a college degree, and they have vastly different economic circumstances than their college-educated peers. Because of that, there was significant demand for analysis of non-college america and policy solutions to ensure that economic opportunity is available to all. Work included:* unpacking the non-college workforce in america, including analysis on their occupations and economic headwinds, geographic divides, and gender divides. * developing dozens of policy solutions to expand digital literacy, paid leave, and apprenticeships. * analyzing what a breach of the debt limit would mean for middle- and lower-income families.health care costs: with elevated inflation, there was a significant conversation around health care costs and how medical prices and debt impact working- and middle-class families. Work included:* analyzing how medical debt affects the middle class and what states are doing to end medical debt. * starting a new initiative to fix america's broken hospitals, including analysis on structural issues increasing hospital prices and policy development on how to realign incentives. * showing how to finish the job on the affordable care act with a series of policies to build on the signature law.entrepreneurial equity: Third Way and the national urban league jointly run the alliance for entrepreneurial equity which develops and promotes federal policies that dramatically increase the opportunity for minority and female entrepreneurs to start and expand successful businesses. Work included:* researching the state of entrepreneurship among women and people of color, from the numbers behind hispanic-owned businesses to which businesses are exporting to global markets. * developing policy ideas ranging from reauthorizing the small business act to reducing recidivism and providing a pathway to entrepreneurship. * bringing thought leaders together through public and private convenings to build awareness and action on these issues.

Social policy and politicsaddressing threats on social issues: Third Way remains committed to addressing threats to american values and vulnerable populations on key social and cultural issues. We employed various tactics to make progress on crime, immigration, marijuana, and lgbt rights in the past year. This included:* releasing a follow up to our red state murder problem report showing that homicide rates have been higher in red states than blue states every year this century to push back on the narrative that crime is caused by criminal justice reform policies. * testifying at a congressional hearing on violent crime in manhattan to push back on the narrative that crime is out of control in cities like new york that have implemented criminal justice reforms and bail reform. * releasing a series of memos to help shift the narrative on immigration by highlighting actions that have been taken to improve border security and advocating for more policies that would restore order at the border. * conducting and presenting several rounds of public opinion research on voters' attitudes towards issues around transgender youth, specifically on sports participation and medical care, and sharing messaging guidance to reach conflicted audiences. * supporting bipartisan progress around gun safety and marijuana policy through a series of short memos and explainers. Centering value in the higher education debate: Third Way's education team continues to lead a coordinated movement to change the federal policy narrative on higher education from cost to return on investment and socialize a slate of actionable, defensible solutions to improve postsecondary value, quality, and accountability for students and taxpayers. We've advanced these efforts by:* hosting digital and in-person events, deploying digital media campaigns, and producing a suite of easy-to-understand explainers, infographics, and reports to translate wonky topics like college accreditation, federal student aid, and student outcomes data for nonexpert audiences. * conducting landmark public opinion research on graduate students, demonstrating broad public support for greater transparency and accountability for graduate programs. * testifying before the house of representatives at an education & the workforce subcommittee meeting on higher education innovation, calling attention to how innovation and quality assurance must go hand-in-hand to protect students. * publishing our Third annual economic mobility index to celebrate colleges and universities that open their doors to students from low-income backgrounds and prioritize their success. * championing the postsecondary student success grant program to support evidence-based college retention and completion programs and making the case for making this fund permanent. * shaping the final rules on gainful employment and financial value transparency, which will improve accountability for career education programs and expand the data available to prospective students about all college programs.defining what americans want from Washington: our politics team worked diligently to understand how americans view the political system, policymakers in Washington, and policy actions they took, in order to inform the public about shifting trends and priorities in what the public wants from their government. * we utilized catalist voter file data and other electoral data sources to draft reports analyzing and explaining the american electorate and differences in opinion, worldview, and voting behavior across states and districts;* we conducted qualitative and quantitative public opinion research to better understand what americans prioritize, how they think about current issues under discussion in the administration and congress, and what they want from candidates and policymakers; * we tracked how extreme candidates perform compared to those carrying a more mainstream agenda, to make the argument that mainstream ideas have broader appeal, and that americans want big action, but not revolution; and, * we educated influencers and press about the implausibility of a third-party presidential candidate's path to victory under any circumstances, warning opinion-makers and voters away from false promises from a so-called "unity ticket" run by no labels.

National security programin 2023, the national security program made a strategic shift to focus more aggressively on the national security threats and opportunities of artificial intelligence, both in general and as it relates to china. When microsoft unveiled chat gbt in 2022, we saw this as a game-changing moment for national security. 1) we educated policymakers on artificial intelligence, including how it works and what it can or may do, both good and bad. 2) we furthered our us-china digital world order initiative work by educating policymakers on the strengths and weaknesses china presents on ai. 3) we continued working with stakeholders and policymakers on navigating national security issues.artificial intelligence: will artificial intelligence make america and the world more or less secure? Some believe artificial intelligence may lead to the end of the human race; others say it will unleash unlimited potential and great benefits. We explored both ends of the spectrum:* released "dinner for twelve" which summarized the viewpoints of the most influential thinkers on ai and crafted it in a readable, accessible form for policymakers - including opportunities to delve deeper. * held discussions, panels, and dinners for policymakers aimed at exploring the plusses and minuses of ai. * drafted papers that explain how different methods for developing ai could increase or decrease disinformation and harmful effects of the new technology.us-china digital global power competition: more than ever, the us-china competition will be decided by digital technology and ai. The national security program highlighted the importance and challenges of prioritizing digital governance in national security through work including:* educated the public and policymakers on china's plans to surpass the u.s. In national security with digital global supremacy, including ai;* sized up china's goals and activities with regard to artificial intelligence;* explained china's capabilities of repression through ai, mass surveillance, relentless censorship, and automated disinformation operations that threaten global freedoms;* made the case that a digital pro-democracy model is needed to set international norms and standards to compete against the ongoing proliferation of china's digital autocracy model; national security educational efforts: our educational efforts on national security included:* regularly scanning chinese media and noting items of interest for policymakers;* introducing policymakers to xi jinping's inner circle and how they got their jobs and the roles they will play in china's leadership;* exploring cyber threats like spyware and informing policymakers;* educating leaders on the top ongoing national security challenges and conflicts around the world and the most pressing implications to u.s. national security interests in the short and long-term;* explaining the evolving geopolitical landscape and the complexity of our diplomatic relationships with allies, adversaries, and top competitors.