Educating Americans in Public Policy is the institution’s boldest effort to empower Americans at large—particularly young people—with the knowledge to make informed decisions about public policy. PolicyEd content teaches viewers about Hoover research and the principles behind it: individual liberty, free-market economics, and limited constitutional government. This year the PolicyEd Initiative launched 6 new series with total of 50+ videos.
Here are some of the highlights from 2017.
Featured Videos
Should Speech That Offends Be Prohibited?
There are natural limits on free speech in the form of force, fraud, or defamation. But speech that offends is not something that should be limited. Prohibiting speech that some find offensive violates those who want to speak and those who want to listen. The way to respond to offensive speech isn’t to use force, it is to respond with persuasive speech of your own.
For more Intellections, go to www.policyed.org/intellections.
The Numbers Game: How Is The Middle Class Doing?
Russ Roberts explores the challenges of accurately measuring and understanding the economy and economic policy. Is it true that the wages for those in the middle class have been stagnant since the 1970s? It turns out that economic life is difficult to measure accurately. Depending on what you decide to measure, the numbers can support different interpretations.
For more in this series, check out https://www.policyed.org/numbersgame where the next episode will launch in mid-January.
Blueprint for America: Trade and Immigration
Trade and immigration are good for the U.S. economy. Free trade allows Americans to buy better goods at lower prices and provides bigger markets where we can sell our own goods. More immigration leads to economic growth and improvements in our standard of living. The logic that isolation and protectionism will create more American jobs is misguided and detrimental to economic growth.
For more in this series, go to www.policyed.org/blueprint-america.
Off By Trillions: The Reality of Our Pension Problem
The conclusion to a five-part video series explaining why public-sector pensions are underfunded and what needs to happen to return to solvency. State and local pension funds are underfunded by trillions of dollars. By using overly optimistic assumptions about investment returns, pension funds are shifting the burden onto current and future taxpayers.
For more in this series, check out www.pensionpursuit.org or start watching this series with “A Misalignment of Interests.”
IT'S A WONDERFUL LOAF
A whimsical animated short film based on Russ Robert's poem about emergent order and the supply of bread. It's a Wonderful Loaf is an ode to the hidden harmony that is all around us--the seeming magical ways that we anticipate and meet the needs of each other without anyone being in charge.
For more about this film, check out https://wonderfulloaf.org/.
FEATURED SERIES
Intellections
Activate Your Thinking. The Intellections series brings you 60-90 second animations that engage your intellect and clarify public policy concepts. With topics ranging from health insurance and single-payer to national security threats and education reform, these bite size videos provide a quick peek into understanding the issues of today.
Blueprint for America
The American ability to inspire--which we call exceptionalism--is not automatic. It takes continued efforts to be realized in a changing world. In this series, George P. Shultz and other scholars at the Hoover Institution--professors, thinkers, and practitioners of global renown in their respective fields--offer a series of accessible policy ideas for civic, economic, and security architecture that would shore up the long-term foundations of American strengths.
Pension Pursuit
Play the game of Pension Pursuit and see how state and local governments are underfunding pension obligations by trillions of dollars. This five-part video series explaining why public-sector pensions are underfunded and what needs to happen to return to solvency
The Numbers Game
Russ Roberts dives into the data to help users understand how statistics can be manipulated to suit any conclusion, and why you should be skeptical of the idea that everyday life isn’t improving. This animated series discusses the challenges of accurately measuring and understanding the economy and economic policy.
It's A Wonderful Loaf
A short, animated film that is an ode to the hidden harmony that is all around us--the seeming magical ways that we anticipate and meet the needs of each other without anyone being in charge. It pays tribute to emergent order, the invisible hand, and the hidden harmony all around us.
Office Hours: The Scholar Responds
Watch scholars answer the most common questions and comments they receive related to all the videos created by the PolicyEd initiative based on their in-depth research and publications.
