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July 28, 2026 at 12 PM ET
A virtual summit proudly presented as a part of the Newmark Civic Life Series of Recanati-Kaplan Talks
The 92NY Belfer Center for Innovation and Social Impact
250 years in, the American experiment stands at a crossroads. Where will we go next?
Founded on bold democratic ideals, the US has continually reinvented itself: expanding civil rights, absorbing generations of immigrants, and emerging as a global superpower. Yet the very forces that have fueled our country’s growth now raise urgent questions about its future. Gathering leading thinkers, policymakers, and experts for a day of virtual conversations, the State of America Summit explores where America headed next as we approach our nation’s 250th anniversary.
How resilient are the institutions that have sustained us? What lessons can be drawn from our historic triumphs — and shortcomings? Join us as we map out a new era of the American experiment.
American Citizenship at 250
Ali Noorani, Andrea Flores, Royce Murray
The US, a nation shaped by immigration and diasporic reinvention, is engaged in a fierce debate about who belongs in our country and what citizenship should mean. Demographic shifts are fueling projections that the country will become “minority white” by the middle of the 21st century — and our politics, culture, religion, labor, and civic life are undergoing a transformation. Against a backdrop of intensified immigration enforcement and renewed legal battles over birthright citizenship, hear from a panel of leading experts in a conversation about how citizenship forms national identity — and why the question of American identity has become newly urgent.
American Media at 250
Renee diResta, Katie Sanders, Hena Doba
Americans are living through a profound crisis of trust in the news. Social media, podcasts, and AI are overtaking legacy journalism faster than our media institutions can respond. Pew has found that many Americans encounter inaccurate election information and struggle to tell what is true, while social media continues to reshape our public life. What does this mean for journalism, civic trust, and democracy? Can a shared reality be rebuilt without sacrificing free expression? Discover how misinformation and a new media landscape is changing how we get the news — and our conception of truth itself.
American Labor at 250
Beth Simone Noveck, Allison Pugh, Betsey Stevenson
From farms and factories to offices and Silicon Valley algorithms, the history of America is also a history of work — and new technology is bringing about a sea change in American labor. AI stands to bring about massive disruption: millions of jobs stand to be both displaced and created worldwide in the next five years. Even as new industries and skill sets emerge, all American workers — blue collar, white collar, and everyone in between—will have to contend with a new labor reality. What is the future of American work? Who will have the power to shape it?
The American Constitution at 250
Tiffany Graham, Akhil Reed Amar, Melissa Murray, Kimberly Atkins Stohr
For nearly 250 years, the Constitution has been America’s founding text — a battlefield, a shield, and a mirror of the nation. It has protected liberty and preserved structural inequality; expanded rights and constrained freedom; empowered social movements and quashed them. From voting rights and gender equality to Indigenous sovereignty, LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive freedom, and the reach of executive power, constitutional interpretation has never been fixed. What can the current slate of major cases before the Supreme Court — on democracy, citizenship, gun control, and civil rights — tell us about how we are reading the Constitution today — and where its current interpretation might bring us tomorrow?
