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America’s Allies are Essential to Economic Security.
America’s Allies are Essential to Economic Security.
The United States trade policy has overcorrected. In 2015, a bipartisan consensus formed around the idea that America’s trade agreements were too intrusive. Agreements such as the World Trade Organization and NAFTA were seen to overly restrict the U.S.’s ability to defend itself from anti-competitive behaviors, including subsidies and dumping. A new generation of trade […]
Learn MoreNo One Wants to Blink in the U.S.–China Trade Standoff
No One Wants to Blink in the U.S.–China Trade Standoff
Learn MoreBeyond Fragmentation: Policy Options for Digital Harmonization
Beyond Fragmentation: Policy Options for Digital Harmonization
The best solutions to seemingly intractable problems often lie in pragmatism and embracing the art of what is possible. Many business leaders believe this is the case for regulating the global digital economy. The fragmentation of digital trade rules and regulations is already a problem, one that figures to get bigger and more complicated […]
Learn MoreSparking an Industrial Reawakening
Sparking an Industrial Reawakening
This essay is part of the Made in Democracy series, exploring how allied nations can rebuild industrial and technological strength to sustain freedom in a more contested world. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Across capitals from Washington to Tokyo to Berlin, a quiet consensus is emerging: nations that value openness and transparency cannot secure prosperity or peace if they […]
Learn MoreInfrastructure That Binds and Builds Power
Infrastructure defines power—linking allies, securing chokepoints, and enabling the flow of goods, energy, and data. The goal: systems that empower, not entrap.
Subcategories
- Strategic Finance Tools
- Mobility and Trade Infrastructure
- Strategic Inputs Infrastructure
- Secure Digital Infrastructure
- Empowering Energy Infrastructure
Enhancing Resilience and Expanding Reach
Resilience must be realistic. Targeted production, diversified sourcing, and trade expansion reduce vulnerability while sustaining innovation and competitiveness.
Subcategories
- Industrial Renewal and Strategic Production
- Resilient Sourcing and Input Security
- Blunting Authoritarian Market Distortion
- Trade Expansion
- Information and Software Integrity
Securing Democratic Digital Dominance
Digital leadership is decisive. Democracies must lead in semiconductors, AI, networks, and space to ensure secure, open, and values-based systems prevail.
Subcategories
- Innovation Ecosystem Development
- Semiconductor Leadership
- Trusted AI and Cloud Infrastructure
- Open and Secure Networks
- Space and Quantum
Modernizing Alliances for Mutual Advantage
To compete at scale and speed, alliances must modernize—aligning across defense, trade, digital rules, and infrastructure to convert shared values into shared strength.
Subcategories
- Modern Alliance Architecture
- Rules, Interoperability, and Norms
- Coordinated Supply Chains and Industrial Policy
- Aligned Infrastructure Finance
- Defense Industrial Integration
Development That Delivers Opportunity
Inclusive development underpins economic security. Advancing financial access, human capital, institutional trust, and entrepreneurship strengthens prosperity and expands opportunity in every region.
Subcategories
- Financial Inclusion and Credit Access
- Political Institutions & Development Outcomes
- Migration, Identity, and Transnational Networks
- Public Services and Accountability
- Long-run Growth and Historical Legacies
Evidence-Based Practice in Development Policy
Effective development policy must be grounded in rigorous evidence, not assumptions. Translating research into actionable strategies that work in real-world contexts helps governments, institutions, and communities make informed decisions that deliver measurable
and lasting impact.
Financial Access in a Growing World
The Financial Access Initiative conducts rigorous research on how low-income households use financial tools like savings, credit, insurance, and payments. Its work informs policies and product design that expand meaningful financial inclusion worldwide.
Mark Kennedy
Director, Wahba Institute
for Strategic Competition
"Freedom rests on economic foundations. DRI with WISC brings together leading minds and policy actors to reinforce those foundations where development and strategic competition converge."
Sadek Wahba
Chair of WISC GAC,
DRI Senior Fellow
"Infrastructure is no longer just an economic issue—it's central to freedom, resilience, and strategic alignment. DRI with WISC ensures we think holistically and act decisively."
Rajeev Dehejia
Faculty Co-Director
"To advance prosperity for all we need to connect rigorous development research with the systems that shape it—economics, governance, technology, and infrastructure."