Talks from the Hoover Institution

"The Hand Behind Unmanned" Book Launch Event With Jacquelyn Schneider

Join Hoover fellow and Director of the Hoover Institution's Wargaming and Crisis Simulation Initiative Jacquelyn Schneider for the launch of her new book "The Hand Behind Unmanned: Origins of the US Autonomous Military Arsenal" at the Hoover Institution in Washington, DC on Wednesday, March 26, from 5:30 - 7:15pm ET.

Leading with Grit: From the Naval Academy to Newark's Frontlines | Frontline Voices

In this inaugural episode of Frontline Voices, host “IRON” Mike Steadman is joined by fellow Hoover Veteran Fellow alumnus Greg Eason. Mike opens up about his journey from growing up in a single-parent household, to becoming a Marine Corps officer, entrepreneur, and community leader. Together, they explore the idea of “normalizing excellence,” how their lived experiences shaped their outlook, and what it means to be a change-maker today. They also discuss the power of mentorship, faith, and resilience in overcoming adversity. This episode sets the stage for future conversations with veterans leading impactful work across the country.

Recorded on March 11, 2025.

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Gregory Eason is a real estate developer and investor focused on delivering high-quality housing experiences in emerging and underserved markets. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with a degree in quantitative economics, he served as a gunnery and training officer in the Navy before transitioning out of the military and into real estate. He currently leads a build-to-rent project in Atlanta, and is an angel investor in a 185-acre development in North Augusta, Georgia. As a Veteran Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Greg explored innovative housing solutions and the intersection of economic mobility, faith, and community investment.

RELATED SOURCES:

• The Gap and the Gain by Dan Sullivan with Dr. Benjamin Hardy
• The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• Jim Collins' Stockdale Paradox Concept

FOLLOW THE GUEST ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

• Gregory Eason on LinkedIn

Presidential Transition: Tested: Why Conservative Students Get The Most Out Of Liberal Education | Reimagining American Institutions | Hoover Institution

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Hoover Institution | Stanford University

The Hoover Institution Center for Revitalizing American Institutions webinar series features speakers who are developing innovative ideas, conducting groundbreaking research, and taking important actions to improve trust and efficacy in American institutions. Speaker expertise and topics span governmental institutions, civic organizations and practice, and the role of public opinion and culture in shaping our democracy. The webinar series builds awareness about how we can individually and collectively revitalize American institutions to ensure our country’s democracy delivers on its promise.

The fifth session discussed Tested: Why Conservative Students Get the Most out of Liberal Education with Lauren A. Wright and Brandice Canes-Wrone on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, from 10:00 - 11:00 am PT.

Recent critiques of America’s elite universities have aptly asserted that college students are being coddled and shielded from points of view they disagree with, setting them up for failure. But this depiction excludes the starkly divergent experiences of conservative students, who face extraordinary intellectual and social challenges inside and outside college classrooms. These obstacles are double edged: while they expose conservative students to adverse and sometimes hostile social environments, decades of psychology research also shows they may ironically impart educational advantages by forcing conservative students to defend their points of view. Are conservative students being better prepared than liberal students for life after college by constantly engaging in a more rigorous mode of thinking? This is the first ever ethnography of conservative college students at the best universities in the United States. Featuring hundreds of interviews with students and faculty, it fills a gap in timely conversations about intellectual diversity in higher education.

Anti-Semitism: Past And Present | 2025 History Symposium | Hoover Institution

Tuesday, February 11, 2025 
Hoover Institution, Stanford University

The Hoover Institution Applied History Working Group (HAHWG), chaired by Milbank Family Senior Fellow Niall Ferguson, and vice-chaired by Hoover Fellow Joseph Ledford, held its annual History Symposium on February 11, 2025.

The Hoover Institution Applied History Working Group (HAHWG), chaired by Milbank Family Senior Fellow Niall Ferguson, and vice-chaired by Hoover Fellow Joseph Ledford, held its annual History Symposium on February 11, 2025.

The 2025 History Symposium has the theme of “Anti-Semitism: Past and Present.” World-renowned historians will reviewed recent developments in the historiography of this subject and related them to contemporary aspects of anti-Semitism, not least those exposed by the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel and their aftermath.

The Symposium featured a series of papers and panels focused on both new historical research and contemporary developments. Presenters include Mark Brilliant (University of California, Berkeley), Rosa Freedman (University of Reading), Jeffrey Herf (University of Maryland, College Park), Ethan Katz (University of California, Berkeley), Jonathan Karp (Binghamton University), Rebecca Kobrin (Columbia University), Olga Litvack (Cornell University), Daniel Sargent (University of California, Berkeley), Jeffrey Veidlinger (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor), and Steven Zipperstein (Stanford University).

In addition, the Symposium held a special session featuring Deborah Lipstadt, the US Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Antisemitism and University Distinguished Professor at Emory University, in conversation with Niall Ferguson.

Participation is by invitation only. For further information, contact jledford@stanford.edu

India's Policy Landscape: Insights From The Survey Of India | Hoover Institution

The Hoover Institution held an event titled, "India's Policy Landscape: Insights from the Survey of India," on Tuesday, January 28th, 2025, at 12 p.m. PT in the Annenberg Conference Room, George P. Shultz Building, and online (via Zoom).

This event discussed India's current policy landscape, using the Hoover Institution's inaugural edition of the Survey of India as a foundation for the discussion. The Survey of India is a comprehensive volume that provides an overview of developments in India across various policy arenas, including foreign policy, demography, economics, and education. Each of its eight chapters offers a panoramic view and an authoritative account of specific policy issues that are collectively shaping India's trajectory. ​

FEATURING

- Šumit Ganguly, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and Director of the Huntington Program on Strengthening the US-India Relationship.

- Jack A. Goldstone, Virginia E. and John T. Hazel, Jr. Chair Professor of Public Policy at George Mason University.

- Dinsha Mistree, Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution and Research Affiliate at Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and at the Neukom Center for the Rule of Law at Stanford Law School.

- Nirvikar Singh, Co-Director of the Center for Analytical Finance at UCSC and the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Economics, Management and Religion.

Distinguished Governors on State vs Federal Power: A Conversation with Governors Jeb Bush, Jerry Brown and Mitch Daniels

A discussion with three of America's most distinguished former governors - Jeb Bush (Florida), Jerry Brown (California), and Mitch Daniels (Indiana) - exploring the critical relationship between states and the federal government. Moderated by Michael Boskin, this conversation examines how these innovative leaders managed natural disasters, educational reform, fiscal challenges, and infrastructure development.

The three distinguished former governors share candid insights about dealing with federal regulations, balancing budgets during boom and bust cycles, and implementing effective education reforms. Highlights include Jeb Bush's groundbreaking education initiatives in Florida, Jerry Brown's fiscal management in California, and Mitch Daniels' successful privatization efforts in Indiana.

This timely conversation offers valuable lessons for current policymakers and insights into effective governance at both state and federal levels. Featuring:

• Jeb Bush, Former Governor of Florida (1999-2007)
• Jerry Brown, Former Governor of California (1975-1983, 2011-2019)
• Mitch Daniels, Former Governor of Indiana (2005-2013)
• Moderator: Michael Boskin, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution

To learn more, read "American Federalism Today" by the Hoover Institution: https://www.hoover.org/research/american-federalism-today

Part of the Tennenbaum Program for Fact-Based Policy at the Hoover Institution: https://www.hoover.org/research-teams/tennenbaum-program-fact-based-policy 

Presidential Transition: Restoring Trust In American Elections: Challenges And Opportunities | Reimagining American Institutions | Hoover Institution

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Hoover Institution | Stanford University

The Hoover Institution Center for Revitalizing American Institutions webinar series features speakers who are developing innovative ideas, conducting groundbreaking research, and taking important actions to improve trust and efficacy in American institutions. Speaker expertise and topics span governmental institutions, civic organizations and practice, and the role of public opinion and culture in shaping our democracy. The webinar series builds awareness about how we can individually and collectively revitalize American institutions to ensure our country’s democracy delivers on its promise.

The fourth session discusses Restoring Trust in American Elections: Challenges and Opportunities with Benjamin Ginsberg, Justin Grimmer, and Brandice Canes-Wrone on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, from 10:00 - 11:00 am PT.

Public faith in the reliability of American elections has been eroding for decades with both political parties voicing concerns at times since the 1980s. Democrats have often pointed to issues like voter suppression and systemic inequities, while many Republicans have embraced claims of widespread fraud. Since 2016, and particularly following the 2020 election, polls have shown a more precipitous drop in the public’s trust in elections. These divisions have raised critical questions: Are election results reliable? Is distrust in elections now an enduring feature of American political campaigns and does that impact the democracy? Are we destined to cycle through accusations of fraud and suppression with every contested result?  What have we learned from the 2024 election process? 

Emerging Technology And The Economy | Hoover Institution

Friday, December 6, 2024 

Hoover Institution | Stanford University

The Hoover Institution held a conversation with President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Mary C. Daly and Hoover Institution Senior Fellow, John H. Cochrane on Emerging Technology and the Economy on Friday, December 6th at 10:00 a.m. in the Shultz Auditorium, George P. Shultz Building.​

About the Speakers

Mary C. Daly is President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, where she contributes to shaping U.S. monetary policy as part of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). A labor and public policy economist, Daly is devoted to research and to ensuring that it is translated into practices that improve the lives of everyone. In addition to her work with the Federal Reserve, Daly has served as a visiting professor at Cornell University and UC Davis, and has been an advisor to the Congressional Budget Office, the Library of Congress, and the Social Security Administration. Daly is known for her ability to communicate and is a frequent speaker in the U.S. and internationally. She also hosts an award-winning podcast, Zip Code Economies. Daly holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, a master’s degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a Ph.D. in economics from Syracuse University, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Northwestern University.

John H. Cochrane is the Rose-Marie and Jack Anderson Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. He is also a research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research and an adjunct scholar of the CATO Institute. Before joining Hoover, Cochrane was a Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, and earlier at its Economics Department. He was a junior staff economist on the Council of Economic Advisers (1982–83). His most recent book is The Fiscal Theory of the Price Level. Cochrane frequently contributes editorial opinion essays to the Wall Street Journal. He maintains the Grumpy Economist blog. Cochrane earned a bachelor’s degree in physics at MIT and his PhD in economics at the University of California at Berkeley. 

Special Book-Launch Seminar: New Deal Law and Order: How the War on Crime Built the Modern Liberal State

Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Hoover Institution | Stanford University

On behalf of the Hoover Applied History Working Group, Dr. Niall Ferguson welcomes Anthony Gregory to vibrantly discuss his recent book, New Deal Law and Order: How the War on Crime Built the Modern Liberal State.

ABOUT THE TALK

This special book talk discovers how the 1930s redefined law and order, transforming liberalism and reshaping American government itself. We remember the New Deal as foundational to modern liberalism, but its crucial role in building the law-and-order state has gone neglected. This HAHWG seminar will look to Franklin Roosevelt’s war on crime for lessons on how political legitimacy relies on enforcement authority and consider the implications for today’s fraught politics of law and order.

The book is available for purchase here.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Anthony Gregory is a Hoover Fellow at the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace, at Stanford University. He is a legal and policy historian of the American state. He was previously an assistant professor in residence at Rhode Island School of Design’s Department of History, Philosophy, and Social Sciences. He earned his PhD in History at the University of California Berkeley, where he trained as an Americanist studying politics and law, and spent two years as a postdoctoral research associate at Brown University’s Political Theory Project before beginning at RISD. Gregory is the author of multiple academic publications on national security, constitutionalism, and legal theory and is currently working on modern American liberalism and criminal justice, particularly on how the New Deal war on crime legitimated and transformed U.S. governance.

Presidential Transition: Polling: What Is On The Minds Of Americans | Reimagining American Institutions | Hoover Institution

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Hoover Institution | Stanford University

The Hoover Institution Center for Revitalizing American Institutions webinar series features speakers who are developing innovative ideas, conducting groundbreaking research, and taking important actions to improve trust and efficacy in American institutions. Speaker expertise and topics span governmental institutions, civic organizations and practice, and the role of public opinion and culture in shaping our democracy. The webinar series builds awareness about how we can individually and collectively revitalize American institutions to ensure our country’s democracy delivers on its promise.

The third session discusses Polling: What Is on the Minds of Americans with David Brady, Doug Rivers, Daron Shaw, Lynn Vavreck, and Brandice Canes-Wrone on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, from 10:00 - 11:00 am PT.

Attempts to understand what is in the hearts and minds of American voters has become increasingly difficult, and recent polls leading up to elections have often turned conventional wisdom on its head. This session explores some innovative polling practices and what we learned from political polls during the 2024 elections, including from one of the largest national panel surveys that started in December 2023. Panelists discuss what was on the minds of Americans as they entered the voting booth this fall, and the strengths and limitations of our attempts to understand voters through polling.