Director, Economic Policy Studies and Arthur F. Burns Scholar in Political Economy, American Enterprise Institute; Author of The American Dream Is Not Dead: (But Populism Could Kill It)..
Michael R. Strain is the Director of Economic Policy Studies and the Arthur F. Burns Scholar in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he oversees the Institute’s work in economic policy, financial markets, international trade and finance, tax and budget policy, welfare economics, health care policy, and related areas.
Michael R. Strain is the Director of Economic Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, where he holds the Arthur F. Burns Chair in Political Economy. As an economist, his research and writing are in a wide range of areas. The Economist magazine cited his work as contributing to “an intellectual revolution in macroeconomics,” and his work was featured in a 2014 cover story for The New York Times Magazine. In addition to publishing articles in professional journals, he is the author of The American Dream Is Not Dead, a book which challenges the prevailing narrative of economic despair. He is the editor of four other books.
Beyond research, he also writes frequently for popular audiences, and his essays and op-eds have been published by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, The Washington Post, Project Syndicate, Bloomberg, and National Review, among others.
A frequent guest on radio and television, Dr. Strain is regularly interviewed by broadcast news networks, including CNBC, MSNBC, and NPR. He has testified before Congress and speaks often to a variety of audiences.
Before joining AEI, Strain worked in the Center for Economic Studies at the U.S. Census Bureau and in the macroeconomics research group at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Cornell, and lives in Washington. He is known for informative and engaging presentations, spotting emerging trends, and sharing key insights about the challenges and issues facing the U.S. and global economies.
Michael Strain on Using the Tax System to Reduce Inequality
Michael Strain on America Doing Better than Washington D.C.
Michael Strain on the Resilience of the American Economy
Michael Strain on a Rags to Riches Story in America
Michael Strain on Global Minimum Tax
Michael Strain on Populism Killing the American Dream
Michael Strain on Taming Inflation
Michael Strain on Using the Tax System to Reduce Inequality
Michael Strain’s Speech Topics
Economic Effects of Artificial Intelligence
The transformative potential of the coming artificial intelligence revolution is matched only by its hype. AI enthusiasts claim that it will soon displace the need for human workers. Its detractors claim that it could end all life on earth. What is the truth? What do business leaders need to know about AI? This new technology will not eliminate the need for human workers or usher in the end of our species, but it will change how people work. And it will touch every aspect of our lives—in and out of the office.
The Impact of the 2024 Election on the Economy and Economic Policy
Donald Trump and Joe Biden differ in many important ways, but both reject the broad consensus that largely governed economic policy in the decades before Trump’s 2016 election — one that is generally supportive of business and in favor of free enterprise. On a broad range of issues — the benefits of free trade and the perils of industrial policy; confidence in the face of economic dynamism and technology-driven disruption; support for big government and the importance of personal responsibility — Trump and Biden share more in common than meets the eye, and represent a break with the past. Each president’s first term in office points toward his approach to economic policy in a second term. But the next president will have to contend with a more unstable world — and the expiration of key parts of the 2017 tax law.
Economic Outlook
For all the optimism of 2022 economic forecasts, evolving supply chain issues, persistent inflation, market volatility, and even the impact of financial sanctions on Russia have ostensibly derailed short-term momentum heading into the future. What is one to make of the overall health of the domestic and global economy? What impact will shifting attitudes toward public health and hybrid work arrangements have on US GDP and global growth? Leading economist Michael R. Strain will explore key economic drivers and potential storm clouds with significant, far-reaching implications.