What if, by simplifying the courts — and expecting low-income people without representation to make productive use of the do-it-yourself tools available to them — the courts are inadvertently hindering access to justice? Lawyers Colleen Shanahan and Anna Carpenter make the argument in their Daedalus essay on why "Simplified Courts Can’t Solve Inequality."

Saving democracy might require mandatory voting — and Massachusetts can lead the way. Miles Rapoport, of the Academy's Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, and Alex Keyssar make the case for universal voting.

In the face of unprecedented hostility toward institutions dedicated to knowledge and the pursuit of truth, the Academy’s Board of Directors issued a statement reaffirming a commitment to the practice of democratic self-governance and the belief that a great nation invests in the arts and sciences while protecting the freedom that enables them to flourish.

In his keynote address, Academy President Jonathan Fanton emphasized the need for colleges and universities to do more to spread awareness about the positive impact of language and area studies.

In the face of unprecedented hostility toward institutions dedicated to knowledge and the pursuit of truth, the Academy’s Board of Directors issued a statement reaffirming a commitment to the practice of democratic self-governance and the belief that a great nation invests in the arts and sciences while protecting the freedom that enables them to flourish.

In 2015, the Academy established The Exploratory Fund to support Members who wish to look over the horizon for issues and opportunities not well understood, to think of problems in a fresh way, and to search for connections between research and policy that advance the common good.

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.

Instituted incautiously, the public humanities can threaten faculty speech and encourage cash-chasing. Feisal G. Mohamed discusses how getting it right will require structural change on the American campus — and some institutional investment in humanities departments.

“More people worldwide are being displaced from their homes for longer periods than ever before,” noted David Miliband, president and chief executive officer of the International Rescue Committee, at a gathering of Academy members and guests at the inaugural Jonathan F. Fanton Lecture in New York. Miliband, one of the foremost advocates for refugees and a leader in responses to global humanitarian and human rights crises, described the causes of today’s global refugee crisis and offered solutions, both simple and effective.

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Prefatory note from Academy President Jonathan Fanton in the Bulletin inviting members to read about the work of the Academy and hoping they discover that members are engaged in the “positive programs” that Howard Mumford Jones imagined.

Academy member Abraham Loeb connects the future of technological innovation to the lessons of the humanities, citing Academy report "The Heart of the Matter."

The American Academy of Arts & Sciences has named Kwame Anthony Appiah - author, philosopher, and public intellectual - the recipient of the Academy's award for outstanding contributions to humanistic scholarship.

Elizabeth J. Perry explains the means by which the Chinese Communist party-state maintains campus calm, despite the many unpopular and potentially unsettling higher education reforms.

This summer, the National Academy of Public Administration and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences held panel discussions on Public Governance and Civic Engagement. From these conversations emerged clear recommendations for policymakers to build a stronger civic culture and increase trust in government.

Washington Post chief correspondent and Academy member Dan Balz highlights ways ordinary citizens can address problems with the U.S. political system in an op-ed that includes recommendations from Our Common Purpose, including independent redistricting commissions, expanding the House, implementing ranked choice voting, and more.

Academy member and Indiana University President Michael McRobbie urges institutions to expand their language offerings and enhance global awareness, citing Academy report on "America's Languages."

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The world is witnessing the emergence of new nuclear states that have acquired or are pursuing nuclear capabilities. These new nuclear actors pose significant threats to global security as they challenge the existing nuclear order and nonproliferation regime.