Institute for Humane Studies

Formal institutions don't sustain themselves. The values, norms, and habits underneath them do. In her keynote at the 2025 Markets and Society Conference, IHS President Emily Chamlee-Wright argues that liberalism faces a deeper crisis than any constitutional threat. It's the slow erosion of its cultural foundations. Once those foundations degrade, no legislation can bring them back.

Her prescription: scholars and intellectuals need to pick up the cultural tools already in their hands, stories, symbols, and founding ideals, and use them with urgency. Hear the full keynote on the Hayek Program podcast.

Emily Chamlee-Wright — 2025 Markets and Society Conference Keynote On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, Emily Chamlee-Wright delivers a keynote lecture at the 2025 Markets &

What do conservative Americans actually think about democracy? Researchers sat in living rooms, attended church gatherings, and listened, and the findings push back on common assumptions.

What Conservative Americans Are Actually Saying About Democracy | Institute for Humane Studies All PostsUpdatesWhat Conservative Americans Are Actually Saying About Democracy Published on June 18, 2026On May 20, IHS gathered researchers, practitioners, and funders around new ethnographic research on how conservative Americans understand democracy. The findings cut against some of the field's....

Deliberative interventions require further study, and IHS invites proposals from scholars working on deliberative democracy research! Potential angles include long-term effects, partisan animosity, the impact of AI, and more.

Submit your proposal by July 10.

Deliberative Democracy And The Effects Of Deliberation | Institute for Humane Studies Deliberative Democracy and the Effects of DeliberationFor FacultyThe contemporary crisis of liberal democracy has led to an increased interest in deliberative processes and democratic innovation. While deliberative interventions are not a panacea, there’s a growing confidence that citizens’ part...

This July, IHS is hosting an online graduate research conference where students in the social sciences will present their projects for feedback. Free program with a $100 honorarium.

Visit our website to apply for a spot:

Graduate Conference for the Social Sciences | Institute for Humane Studies All EventsGraduate StudentGraduate Conference for the Social SciencesZoomJuly 25 – July 26, 2026OverviewPresent your research online and get feedback from faculty at the IHS “Graduate Conference for the Social Sciences.” This online graduate research conference offers students working in the s...

IHS invites scholars to submit proposals related to nuclear energy! We are particularly interested in funding work that tackles questions concerning regulation, institutional design, and public perception.

Submit your proposal by July 1.

Nuclear Energy And The Challenge Of A Growing Grid | Institute for Humane Studies Nuclear energy has re-emerged as a central component of US climate and energy discussions, driven by interest in advanced reactors (e.g., SMRs), growing electricity demand, and renewed attention to permitting reform. However, despite this renewed interest, deployment remains challenging. Nuclear pro...

IHS is calling for proposals related to e-governance methods and digital technologies! If your research explores ways that technology can promote freedom and institutional reform, visit our website to learn more about this funding opportunity.

Submit your proposal by July 1.

Digital Governance As Liberal Experimentation | Institute for Humane Studies In a moment marked by rising illiberalism and the declining trust in institutions, there is a growing opportunity to explore the ways that technologies of freedom like artificial intelligence, blockchain, and encryption can be deployed to reduce fiscal waste, build governance capacity, and encourage...

On June 17, IHS is hosting a discussion in Washington, DC, on whether the IEEPA can justify broad presidential tariff authority.

Aaron Ross Powell will sit down with Ilya Somin, co-counsel in the recent case, to discuss the Supreme Court's landmark ruling.

Doors open at 6 PM. Apply here for a spot:

IEEPA and the Limits of Executive Authority | Institute for Humane Studies All EventsFacultyGraduate StudentIEEPA and the Limits of Executive AuthorityWashington, DCJune 17 – June 18, 2026OverviewThe Institute for Humane Studies invites you to join us at the National Press Club on June 17 for a live recording of The Liberalism.org Show hosted by Aaron Ross Powell and fea...

Cuba ran out of oil on May 14. Solar won't fix the problem—not because the sun isn't shining, but because a Cuban solar transition just trades one type of foreign dependency for another. IHS affiliated scholar Luisa Blanco and coauthor Isabella Elias explain why only a long-term solution will do at The Conversation US.

Cuba needs a long-term solution to its energy crisis Short-term humanitarian aid won’t go far in alleviating Cuba’s long-term energy crisis.