Today, Amy Zegart chronicles the lesser-known Founding-era history of George Washington’s intelligence network and espionage activities; Chester Finn provides a roundup of civics resources ahead of America’s 250th birthday celebrations; and Simone D’Amico and coauthors provide policy recommendations to keep the orbital space around Earth safe and usable for many years ahead.
USA@250
George Washington: the father of his country, the victorious general, and also the George Smiley of his era (as spy novelist John le Carré might have put it). Washington’s success as the Revolution’s spy chief is lesser known than his other achievements, Senior Fellow Amy Zegart writes at Freedom Frequency, but these exploits in espionage saved the Continental Army and thus the Revolution itself. Washington’s networks featured secret technology, double agents, cloaked identities (at least one spy’s name wasn’t revealed until the 1930s), disinformation, and a structure of secrecy familiar to intelligence operations everywhere. At the same time, his handling of his agents showed the discipline, care, and awareness that his contemporaries praised in Washington the military and political leader. Read more here.
Civics Education
“With July 4 around the corner and amid mounting anxiety that its observance in the nation’s capital may consist of little more than parades, flyovers, and whoop-de-dos,” Senior Fellow Chester E. Finn, Jr., writes at the Flypaper blog, “mounting numbers of people who are serious about civics, citizenship, democracy, and history are doing their best to ensure that we commemorate the audacious events of July 1776 in ways that those events and their aftermath deserve.” Finn notes several recent publications and initiatives tied to the nation’s milestone anniversary, and reports “widening attention to the Hoover Institution’s new Civic Profile, an online self-assessment of one’s own citizenship.” Finn also highlights growing use of this free online tool “by educators and organization leaders to stimulate thoughtful discussion among their students and members.” Explore the Civic Profile tool yourself! Read more here.
Space and Technology Policy
This second part of the Space Safety and Sustainability report by Science Fellow Simone D’Amico and coauthors outlines urgent strategies for the United States to enhance space traffic coordination amid rapid satellite growth. It proposes a three-pillar approach: establishing clear domestic policies for data sharing; investing in advanced technologies like AI for space operations; and exporting US standards internationally. The authors emphasize a proactive approach to ensure the long-term safety, security, and sustainability of the orbital commons. The authors argue that the US should leverage its position as a leader in space operations to develop and promote global standards for space safety. By taking the first-mover advantage, it can encourage other nations and private entities to adopt compatible systems and practices, fostering a safer and more cooperative international framework for space exploration and commerce. Read more here.
Economic Philosophy
At Defining Ideas, Research Fellow David R. Henderson answers the challenge that “you can’t earn a billion dollars” by explaining, first, that it’s quite possible, and second, that consumers in a free market gain even more than the billionaire does. His example hinges on the power of innovation to enrich an entrepreneur who figures out how to make something more cheaply. Other makers then catch up, and over the lifetime of the product, countless buyers get more for less. There’s also the power of compounding, he points out, which increases wealth faster than most people realize. One of economist William Nordhaus’s key insights, Henderson says, is that “only a minuscule fraction of the social returns from technological advances . . . was captured by producers.” Henderson chides critics for failing to notice “the bounty that American entrepreneurs, large and small, are creating.” Read more here.
Law & Policy
In a post at the Volokh Conspiracy blog, Senior Fellow Orin Kerr asks, “When applying Fourth Amendment doctrine, to what extent can race and ethnicity be considered?” A recent case rejected by the Supreme Court, Kerr writes, would have led the justices to examine “whether the Fourth Amendment test for whether a person is ‘seized’ factors in the person's race.” If race can’t be a factor in this test under a “color-blind” interpretation of the Constitution, as Justices Alito and Thomas indicated in a dissent might be the case, Kerr asks about the implication for another key question in Fourth Amendment law: “whether race can be used as a basis for cause in making a stop for immigration violations.” Currently, under a 1975 precedent, race may be a “relevant factor” in the immigration enforcement context. Kerr concludes by asking if these different legal treatments of race can be squared, and whether Justices Thomas and Alito are suggesting that “the Constitution has a broader color-blind commitment that cuts across doctrines and makes reliance on race when applying constitutional tests problematic generally.” Read more here.
Related Commentary