In November, 2018, Democrats won a majority in congress. For us Democrats, that should have been good news. And it was, up to a point. For those of us Democrats who believe that the future is in space, there was a problem. People like Bernie Sanders—the most influential formulator of policy in the Democratic […]
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The Sarasota Institute is putting on three free presentations to the community of Sarasota-Bradenton. These are to introduce the larger community to the goals and visions of The Sarasota Institute. We will explain how the Institute was formed and our plans for the future. Here is the information for the three free presentations: […]
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Today, most nations judge their yearly progress by the measure called Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This measure captures the dollar value of all the goods produced by its businesses, and as we have written about previously at The Sarasota Institute, the concept of GDP needs to be scrapped or revised. The assumption is that […]
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We are pleased to announce the publication of The Sarasota Institute’s Whitepaper #1, The Big Issues. It covers all 10 of the topics we believe are crucial for understanding and shaping the century. Here are some questions that we discuss within: When was the last time you heard anything radical about how to reform democracy? Do […]
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Education in the United States is at a crossroads. Our economy and technology have greatly out-paced the rigidly hierarchical educational system that has been in place for more than 100 years. Disruptive technologies and disruptive individuals are changing the way we live, interact and do business at a rate that is far beyond that system’s […]
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The developed countries of the world are in transition from economies based upon ownership to ones increasingly based upon rental or access. As much as any other trend, this will transform economics, consumption and how we live. The concept of ownership is deeply embedded in economic thought, policy and practice and has been for centuries. […]
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Just after the election of Donald J. Trump as President of the United States I had many conversations with colleagues and friends. Regardless of people’s political persuasion, most expressed some confusion about the future direction of global politics given the unusual nature of Trump as a candidate. Was he, is he, crazy like a fox, […]
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Introduction Understanding how we think is essential to everyday life. How we think determines not only what we think, but also what we feel and ultimately what we do. Myriad factors are involved: the impact of culture, the immediate social context in which thinking occurs, the brain’s structure, and more. We’re not powerless […]
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(Part IV of a series on the future of banking and finance) I began this series of articles on 21st Century Finance by comparing and contrasting the legacy finance industry put in place in the 19th and 20th centuries with the one that is emerging now. Hint: new technology and new ways of using […]
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Every nation has to decide what it stands for. Americans are asking who we are and who do we aspire to be. U.S. immigration policies provide a partial mosaic picture of U.S. ambitions and values as a country. Consider the following immigration questions. Should the U.S. accept more displaced persons from other countries, especially if […]
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