When it comes to federal investment in science, the free-marketers’ argument that the private sector can and will do most of the heavy lifting and that government can let federal support for R&D stagnate or even shrink is mistaken.
Publications
January 25, 2021
The United States still holds a substantial overall lead in AI, but China has continued to reduce the gap in some important areas and the EU continues to fall behind.
January 25, 2021
The next production revolution will be a boon for a global economy that is sputtering and experiencing lagging growth and investment. This new technology wave should lead to a virtuous cycle of increased investment, higher productivity, more spending, and more investment.
January 25, 2021
The trade-off between economic growth and environmental sustainability may be overstated.
January 25, 2021
Venture capital firms have reined in their funding for resource-intensive start-ups trying to commercialize new technologies in fields such as clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and robotics. Rob and Jackie discuss what’s needed to maintain a robust VC ecosystem in the United States with veteran angel investor Dan Scheinman.
January 22, 2021
Consumers and businesses are both better off with a single federal law than 50 inconsistent state laws, especially given the cross-border nature of the Internet.
January 22, 2021
ITIF supports quickly disbursing critical relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the FCC also should consider how the emergency broadband benefit program can serve as a bridge to a better, more rational subsidy program than the current Lifeline system.
January 22, 2021
Rob Atkinson appeared on Jordan Schneider’s China Talk podcast to discuss U.S. industrial policy grand strategy in light of China’s rise, what the US can expect from its allies on tech policy, as well as the “power trader” paradigm and how Albert Hirschmann’s analysis of 20th century Kaiser and Nazi trade policy helps explain China today.
January 20, 2021
Understanding how Germany manipulated the global trading system to degrade its adversaries’ capabilities, entrap nations as reluctant allies, and build up its own industries for commercial and military advantage—just as China is doing—can shed light and point the way for solutions to the China challenge.
January 19, 2021
If the nation ever succumbs and passes UBI, it will be the penultimate evolution of an American culture of selfishness. “Who doesn’t want free money?” you might ask. Everyone who is a responsible citizen.