Program areas at Third Way
Third Way Institute supports the development of educational materials and events on the policy challenges faced by america, focusing on a wide variety of policy issues.climate and energyour 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.social policy, education 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. 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. Economicin 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.national securityin 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. 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.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.