Archbridge Institute

Senior fellow Edward Timmons and Conor Norris cite our research in a new report for the John Locke Foundation on reforming occupational licensing in #NorthCarolina. According to the State Occupational Licensing Index 2024, North Carolina is ranked 11th nationally, meaning that North Carolina licenses more occupations than 39 other states and the District of Columbia. These barriers make it more difficult for people to earn a living, especially low-income workers. ? Download the full policy report: https://lnkd.in/gg_V5t8F ? And discover how all 50 states rank in our index: https://lnkd.in/grp4g4eb #StateOccupationalLicensingIndex #SOLI #OccupationalLicensing #NCpol #StateRankings #Regulations The Knee Center

Last year in Seeking the Good, Clay Routledge uncovered a strange paradox: the aspiration to become a parent is in decline, yet parenthood is consistently ranked as the most meaningful and fulfilling aspect of one’s adult life. Where's the disconnect? And how can we revivify a culture of family formation? Check out his republished essay in Profectus Magazine:

Most people haven't heard of Raymond Loewy, but you can see his impact on our world every time you open your eyes. From refrigerator and car designs to iconic logos like Air Force One, Shell Oil and the Greyhound Bus dog, Loewy's creativity and vision for artful, functional design is everywhere. He was a pioneer of the industrial design industry and a lover of the American ethos for hard work, opportunity, and success. Check out the story of this American Original in Profectus Magazine. ?? https://lnkd.in/gvEd33Ze #AmericanOriginal #AmericanDream #RaymondLoewy #Loewy #IndustrialDesign #IndustrialDesigner #Design #Designer #Entrepreneur #Entrepreneurship #Founder #Pioneer #Innovation #ProductDesign Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA)

Tariffs are indeed a terrible policy. Check out my latest Substack post (comment section below) where I make the case that we should Make American Free Trade Again.

Finally got a chance to expand on my Rotten Tomatoes analogy of the American Dream. And with some of my favorite examples. "There are many barriers to the American Dream, and in and of itself, the Dream is about overcoming barriers. But we can see that the “audience score” on the American Dream is more positive than the critics would have us think. So what to do about it? Should we care more about the critic score or the audience score on the American Dream? Just as there is a purpose for movies (to entertain), there is a purpose for the American Dream. If people are entertained watching a movie, the purpose of the movie has been achieved, whatever the genre. And in the case of the American Dream, its purpose is to remind you that you are the main actor of your own life, and you should pursue your goals and live life to your full potential, achieving your best human flourishing. In many case people will achieve their American Dream; while some others may give up. But the pursuit of the American Dream is the score itself; it’s what the United States has been all about since the beginning: the pursuit of happiness." https://lnkd.in/eWRu7Y_B

?? Leadership Circle Member Justin Callais breaks down Michigan’s social mobility crisis & calls for policy reforms to unlock opportunity. A must-read for anyone who cares about prosperity. ?? Read more: https://lnkd.in/gugpjY7i

In Fortune, Clay Routledge writes about the latest #ProgressPulse survey results and the importance of educating people about human progress. ?? https://lnkd.in/gyiyy-nv Here is his call to action for everyone: "As a culture, we need to do more to educate people about the many advances in science, medicine, technology, and social attitudes that have improved people’s lives in recent decades. We should also encourage gratitude for advancements accomplished by previous generations that make our lives better today. Indeed, research shows that gratitude?increases?optimism for the future as well as the?motivation?to make positive contributions to society. As a society, we often take historical advancements for granted, allowing our current dissatisfactions and daily frustrations to prevent us from stepping outside the present moment to take a larger view and realize that life has improved over time. If people in the past were able to overcome significant obstacles and improve the human condition, so too can we address the challenges of our time. To build a better tomorrow, let’s look to the past for inspiration."

On the Fox News TV site, Freedom Conservatism signatory Gonzalo Schwarz praised the Trump administration’s efforts to remove government-imposed barriers to economic opportunity but argued that other obstacles lay beyond the capacity of DOGE or other federal initiatives to affect. “These barriers — such as broken family structures, mental health issues, substance abuse, chronic unemployment, or a lack of meaningful social relationships — are unlikely to be solved (at least not in the long term) by top-down policies or cookie-cutter government programs,” wrote Schwarz, president of the Archbridge Institute, along with coauthor Elizabeth McGuigan of Philanthropy Roundtable. “By fostering social capital and supporting charitable organizations, we can truly remove the barriers to upward mobility and create a brighter future for ourselves.” #FreeCon

In my latest Flourishing Friday newsletter, I discuss how dissatisfaction can serve as the psychological catalyst that drives not only our personal growth but also the advancement of human civilization more broadly. Because humans possess agency—our capacity to make choices and shape our own lives—dissatisfaction can provide valuable feedback that helps us improve our lives.?What is key is that we seek to understand whether our current dissatisfaction reflects useful information about a need for change in our life circumstances, or if it indicates a need for change in our attitude or outlook. On a broader scale, the fact that humans are never fully satisfied has been crucial for human progress throughout history. Our perpetual striving for improvement has driven exploration, experimentation, and innovation. https://lnkd.in/grdrusnF

Had a great time last week interviewing Whole Foods founder John Mackey at an event organized by the great Bob Lawson at the Bridwell Institute at SMU. The Whole Story is definitely a great book I highly recommend people read, as I said in my review of it a few months ago, link in the comments. John is an amazing purpose driven entrepreneur who did a great job during the interview as just like in the book he discussed all of the ins and outs of his personal and business life which is all one big hero's journey. It's an open and authentic book and I always highly recommend people read these types of biographies if they're trying to become entrepreneurs, as they would learn more from those types of books than in their MBA courses. I didn't quite say that during the event as we were doing the event in the business school, ??. In that same vein, another book John and I both liked was Shoe Dog from Phil Knight and a podcast we both follow is Founders by David Senra. Video of the interview coming soon.