AEI's weekly digest of top commentary and scholarship on the issues that matter most
AEI This Week
AEI's weekly digest of top commentary and scholarship on the issues that matter most
FIVE STEPS TO VICTORY
Ending the Iran War on America's Terms
April 4, 2026
In his address to the nation on Wednesday, President Trump promised to continue military action for the next few weeks if Iran continues to refuse America’s demands. Marc A. Thiessen outlines ([link removed] ) five steps the president can pursue to achieve his objectives without having to negotiate with Tehran.
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The Iran war is the latest, and most sweeping, unilateral military action launched by the president without congressional authorization. Jack Goldsmith and Bob Bauer put ([link removed] ) this action into historical context and highlight the consequences of sidelining members of Congress.
Thursday was the anniversary of “Liberation Day”—President Trump’s announcement of sweeping tariffs. Former Senator Phil Gramm and Donald J. Boudreaux assess ([link removed] ) how elevated tariff rates and extreme uncertainty have disrupted the global economy over the past year.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the administration’s executive order that attempts to end birthright citizenship. The nation’s leading Civil War and Abraham Lincoln scholar Allen C. Guelzo explains ([link removed] ) why granting citizenship to those born in the United States is at the core of the 14th Amendment’s purpose.
In their letter introducing AEI’s 2025 Annual Report, AEI Chairman Daniel A. D’Aniello and AEI President Robert Doar survey ([link removed] ) AEI’s place in the political landscape and highlight our scholarship’s impact last year. Additionally, in his message introducing the first 2026 issue of the Enterprise Report, Doar reflects ([link removed] ) on Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s legacy and AEI’s newly launched First Branch Society.
Intergovernmental Grants to School Districts and Educational Outcomes During the COVID-19 Pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the US federal government appropriated $189.5 billion in emergency aid to school districts to replace lost revenues and mitigate learning loss. In a new AEI economics working paper, Stan Veuger and coauthors evaluate ([link removed] ) the effects of this spending through 2023. Importantly, this spending did not increase per-pupil expenditures by school districts because it largely replaced falling tax revenues. As a result, the authors find no evidence that additional funds mitigated declines in test scores. However, there is some suggestive evidence that changes in political engagement, especially from parents, were greater in districts that qualified for additional funds. This combination of political engagement and reduced taxation may explain the greater enrollment retention and faster reopening in such districts.
More from AEI
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Is Social Media Age Gating Being Regulated Proportionately? ([link removed] )
Bronwyn Howell | AEIdeas
Capitalism, Modified, in a Conservative Town ([link removed] )
Timothy P. Carney | Washington Examiner
No Learning, Please—We’re Democrats! ([link removed] )
Ruy Teixeira | The Liberal Patriot
How India Faces a Strategic Squeeze amid Trumpian Disruption and China’s Silent Advance ([link removed] )
Michael Rubin | Firstpost
At UCLA, the Problem Isn't the Speaker—It's the Gatekeepers ([link removed] )
Samuel J. Abrams | AEIdeas
PODCASTS AND VIDEOS
Chris Pratt ([link removed] )
Ben Sasse et al. | Not Dead Yet
SAVEing the Voting Discourse ([link removed] )
Jay Cost and Sean Trende | Stubborn Things
Send the TSA to Iran? ([link removed] )
John Yoo et al. | 3 Whisky Happy Hour
Has the Cloud Gone Global? ([link removed] )
Shane Tews and Michael Greenwald | Explain to Shane
Has Scotland Forgotten Adam Smith? ([link removed] )
Jonah Goldberg and Samuel Gregg | The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Outside some highly compensated professional fields, including law and medicine, graduate school is a risky proposition. Modest rises in salary, high tuition, and large numbers of non-completers are not always a winning formula.
—Preston Cooper ([link removed] )
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