Trillion Dollar Questions

Managing the U.S.-China Trade and Technology Conflict: Is There a Better Way? 

Rising tensions between the U.S. and China are disrupting long standing policies, practices, and supply chains. Can the world's two largest economies find a better way to manage these tensions? An expert panel will assess the economic and security issues, new evidence from recent research, and the possibility of alternative policy approaches.

Date: Monday, April 17, 2023

Daniel Flatley, Moderator 
National Security Reporter
Bloomberg

Panle Jia Barwick 
The Todd E. and Elizabeth H. Warnock Distinguished Chair Professor
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Lee Branstetter
Professor of Economics and Public Policy
Carnegie Mellon University

Jason Matheny
President and Chief Executive Officer
RAND Corporation

Shang-Jin Wei
N.T. Wang Professor of Chinese Business and Economy
Columbia University

Student Debt & the Future of Higher Education  
Is massive policy change needed or can the academy innovate from within?

Date: Friday, November 18, 2022

Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, Moderator
National higher education reporter covering the economics of higher education
Washington Post 

Ara Austin
Clinical Assistant Professor - Senior Director of Online Engagement and Strategic Initiatives
Arizona State University

Bryan Caplan 
Professor of Economics
George Mason University

Michael Smith
Professor of Information Technology and Marketing
Carnegie Mellon University

Russia’s War in Ukraine:
Impacts on the International (Dis)Order  

Will the Euro-Atlantic alliance persevere or
will Putin succeed in fracturing it?

Wednesday, May 4, 2023

Michele Kelemen, Moderator
Correspondent, Diplomacy, Foreign Desk
National Public Radio 

James Goldgeier
Professor of International Relations; Former Dean
School of International Service
American University 

Amb. Sarah Mendelson 
Distinguished Service Professor of Public Policy
Head of Heinz College in Washington, DC
Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy Carnegie Mellon University 

Brian Taylor
Professor of Political Science
Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
Syracuse University 

The political debate surrounding the dual, multi-trillion dollar infrastructure bills working their way through Congress mainly focuses on costs and spending levels. Lost in that debate is the actual potential impact of these legislative packages, particularly on the areas of energy infrastructure and resilience. Just as the New Deal reshaped the social compact of the United States for the last century, the energy policy decisions made in the coming months will reverberate in American society for decades or more.

As the climate crisis tests our ability to keep the lights on—whether in the face of hurricanes, wildfires, or deep freezes—solutions are needed urgently that will make our energy systems cleaner, more reliable, more secure, and future-proof. We have to get this right.

This panel, moderated by Jennifer Hiller from the Wall Street Journal, will bring together top experts in energy and environmental policy to provide their insight on the substance of the proposed infrastructure packages and discuss the solutions and proposals they want to see come to the floor.

Keeping The Lights On Is Harder Than You Think: President Biden’s Energy Policy
The challenges facing our energy infrastructure, and the policies that could reshape the grid

Tuesday, November 9, 2022

Jennifer Hiller, Moderator
Energy Reporter
The Wall Street Journal

Lori Bennear
Juli Plant Grainger Associate Professor of Energy Economics and Policy
Nicholas School of the Environment
Duke University 

John Graham
Professor of Risk Analysis; Former Dean
Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Indiana University 

Akshaya Jha
Assistant Professor of Economics and Public Policy
Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy
Carnegie Mellon University 

Dysfunction in the U.S. health care system affects much more than just doctors and hospitals. Nearly one out of every five dollars spent in the U.S. goes to health care, and yet key metrics of quality lag behind other countries. 

The problems in American health care are interconnected and not solely about money and politics. And they are high stakes problems, ranging from racial disparities and anti-competitive behavior to gaps in insurance coverage and billions of dollars in wasteful spending. These issues are detrimental for patients, and for the country as a whole.

This panel, moderated by Margot Sanger-Katz from the New York Times, brought some of the nation's top health policy experts together to discuss achievable solutions.

Mission Impossible? How to Fix U.S. Healthcare
Can U.S. healthcare be saved, or is the patient beyond all hope?

Thursday, July 15, 2022

Margot Sanger-Katz, Moderator
Healthcare Correspondent, The Upshot
The New York Times

Katherine Baicker
Dean and Emmett Dedmon Professor
Harris School of Public Policy
University of Chicago 

Zack Cooper
Associate Professor, Institution for Social and Policy Studies
Yale School of Public Health
Yale University 

Martin Gaynor
E.J. Barone University Professor of Economics and Public Policy
Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy
Carnegie Mellon University 

Shelley White-Means
Professor and Executive Director of Consortium for Health Education
Economic Empowerment and Research (CHEER)
University of Tennessee Health Science Center