In a single year, 55 million Americans might face 260 million legal problems, such as fighting eviction threats from landlords, dealing with overwhelming medical bills from an unexpected illness that could lead to bankruptcy, or seeking assistance to escape abusive domestic situations. Yet only some Americans recognize that these problems are matters of civil justice. And even fewer have access to available, afford­able, and quality legal support needed to resolve these problems. This is the civil justice gap: the disparity between the legal needs of Americans and the resources available to meet those needs.

On October 11, 2014, the American Academy inducted its 234th class of Fellows and Foreign Honorary Members. The ceremony included presentations by new Fellows Ramamurti Shankar, Diana H. Wall, Sherry Turkle, Mary Kelley, and John W. Rogers, Jr.

The field of security studies has long been defined by great power politics, interstate conflict, and traditional military threats. However, shifts in the global balance of power, the rising influence of non-state actors, and the increasing urgency of nontraditional threats—such as climate change, infectious disease, biological weapons, and the risks associated with artificial intelligence—are challenging key assumptions in the field. In addition, security studies institutions are facing major funding cuts as U.S. government support for academic research and foundation support for security studies decline.

On October 26, 2017, the American Academy hosted a conversation at the University of California, Berkeley, on "Priorities for Progress: Advancing Higher Education in America," which highlighted two Academy projects – The Lincoln Project: Excellence and Access in Public Higher Education and the Commission on the Future of Undergraduate Education.

As part of the 2013 Induction weekend, Ken Burns (President of Florentine Films) and Ernest J. Moniz (U.S. Secretary of Energy) spoke about the challenges and opportunities for the arts and the sciences.

On April 30, 2024, the Academy hosted a virtual event that featured four contributors to the Dædalus volume on “Understanding Implicit Bias: Insights & Innovations”—guest editors Goodwin Liu (California Supreme Court) and Camara Phyllis Jones (King’s College London) and authors Jennifer Eberhardt (Stanford University) and Frank Dobbin (Harvard University)—who discussed some of the strategies and solutions to understand and combat implicit bias. The program included welcoming remarks from Academy President David W. Oxtoby. An edited transcript of the event follows.

The nation’s public research universities serve approximately 3.8 million students each year and perform much of the country’s groundbreaking research.

To celebrate the arts, artists, and the work of the Academy’s Commission on the Arts, Stephen Colbert, host of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” talked with Commission Cochairs John Lithgow, Deborah Rutter, and Natasha Trethewey. The program included poetry, music, and a discussion of the recommendations developed by the Commission to elevate the arts, support artists, and promote arts education in America. The event also introduced Mixtape, an online collection of arts experiences that features members of the Commission and members of the Academy.

Although global child mortality has dropped by 50 percent since 1990, neonatal mortality has declined much more slowly. Newborns now represent more than 40 percent of under-five deaths, and preterm birth is the world’s leading killer of children.

The American Academy inducted its 236th class of members at a ceremony that included presentations by five new members: Terry A. Plank, Jay D Keasling, Andrea Louise Campbell, Theaster Gates, Jr., and Walter Isaacson.

Mental health in America is a looming crisis, silently corroding the fabric of society. Despite increased awareness, the statistics paint a sobering picture: one in five adults grapple with mental illness annually, yet access to adequate care remains challenging, especially in rural areas. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies can significantly transform mental health care by providing tailored interventions, early detection tools, and convenient therapy options if concerns about access, ethics, and equity are addressed.

By Kathryn Moffat, Senior Program Officer for Global Security and International Affairs at the Academy

Public-private partnerships, new sources of revenue among recommendations for strategic directions

The Spring 2010 issue of Dædalus explores the impact of new technologies and evolving patterns of news consumption on American media. Sixteen authors join guest editor Loren Ghiglione, a veteran of almost four decades in journalism and the Richard A. Schwarzlose Professor of Media Ethics at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, in an in-depth look at the revolution occurring in the news media and the future of investigative journalism.

Arthur Bienenstock, co-chair of American Academy project on the Challenges of International Scientific Partnerships, argues new legislation may endanger the U.S. science and technology workforce and limit the effectiveness of U.S. academic research.

Profile of Kathy Cramer, professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and her leadership of the Academy's Commission on Reimagining Our Economy and the work to advance an American economy that works for its people.

Organizers of 2015 “Innovation: An American Imperative” Issue Progress Report Detailing Path Congress & Administration Must Take To Ensure U.S. Remains Global Innovation Leader

Recent Dædalus Issues

As part of its Making Justice Accessible project, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences hosted a summit in March 2024 to bring together a diverse group of participants to address the civil justice gap.