Letter From Condoleezza Rice:

Dear Friend,

I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for your generous support of the Hoover Institution and to share an update on the important work underway by our scholars at a moment of profound consequence for America and the world.

Herbert Hoover believed that preserving freedom required rigorous scholarship, serious debate, and historical understanding. That mission remains as urgent today as ever. At Hoover, we are more than a policy research institution. We believe deeply in policy impact. As I often say, our fellows are scholars, but they are citizens too, committed to strengthening the institutions, ideas, and leadership that will shape America’s future.

This year has underscored the extraordinary role Hoover can play at a time of rapid technological change, geopolitical instability, and growing questions about the durability of democratic institutions. Across a wide range of disciplines, our scholars are not only helping us better understand the world as it is but also helping shape what comes next.

As our nation marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Hoover scholars are reflecting on the ideas, institutions, and leadership that made the American experiment possible, and the choices that will determine whether it continues to thrive in the decades ahead. Confidence in democratic governance cannot be taken for granted. The strength of our republic depends on serious thinking, principled leadership, and an informed citizenry.

One of the most significant initiatives now underway at Hoover is our work on the future of the Economic and Security Commons. This concept, first articulated by my late colleague George Shultz, describes the international system the United States and its allies built after World War II: an order grounded in free markets, free peoples, open trade, and collective security. It represented a dramatic break from the zero-sum thinking that had previously dominated international affairs.

That system produced unprecedented prosperity and stability. But today, it is under growing strain. Strategic competition has intensified. China has increasingly challenged the very assumptions that underpinned the international order. Americans are asking whether the burdens of global leadership have been shared fairly, and whether our own institutions continue to provide the foundations for opportunity and national strength.

In response, Hoover has launched an ambitious multidisciplinary effort to examine how America and its allies can help renew an Economic and Security Commons suited for a new era. Our scholars are addressing fundamental questions about democracy, economic opportunity, technological transformation, national security, and America’s role in the world. Few institutions are positioned to lead this kind of work as Hoover is, with economists, historians, technologists, political scientists, and national security experts working together to develop ideas equal to the moment.

Technology remains central to many of the defining opportunities and risks facing free societies. Through the Stanford Emerging Technology Review (SETR), our university-wide collaboration with Stanford Engineering, Hoover is helping policymakers better understand the strategic implications of advances in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, robotics, cybersecurity, and energy systems. This year, Hoover also convened its inaugural Bio Leadership Summit, led by Senior Fellow Drew Endy, bringing together scientists, founders, and policymakers to examine the profound implications of advances in synthetic biology and biosecurity.

Hoover scholars are also examining how technological change will affect workers, institutions, and public trust. Earlier this year, Hoover convened former Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, former British Prime Minister and Distinguished Visiting Fellow Rishi Sunak, along with leading economists and technology experts to explore how societies can adapt responsibly to AI-driven transformation.

At the same time, Hoover continues to contribute directly to public service. Our fellows remain engaged not only in scholarship, but also in helping shape national policy through service, advising, and public leadership. This has long been part of Hoover’s tradition: ideas developed with rigor, tested against reality, and brought to bear where they matter most. Kevin Hassett serves as director of the National Economic Council. Jay Bhattacharya leads the National Institutes of Health and currently serves as acting director of the Center for Disease Control. Kevin Warsh, who was sworn in as chair of the Federal Reserve Board on May 22, reflected during his confirmation hearing on Hoover’s formative role in shaping his commitment to disciplined thinking, public service, and intellectual rigor.

Our work on civic education and democratic renewal has also expanded during this historic anniversary year. Through the Center for Revitalizing American Institutions, and under the leadership of Chester “Checker” Finn Jr. and center director Brandice Canes-Wrone, Hoover continues to examine the health of American democracy, institutional trust, and citizenship itself. The launch of our new online civics self-assessment tool, the Civic Profile, is designed to help Americans better understand their own civic values and knowledge. At a time of deep polarization and declining public confidence, this work reflects our conviction that the long-term strength of our republic depends on an informed and engaged citizenry.

We are also continuing to broaden the reach and impact of Hoover scholarship through expanded communications and digital engagement. Today, Hoover’s ideas reach millions of people across platforms and formats through podcasts, video programming, digital publications, live events, and direct engagement with policymakers and the public. This year, GoodFellows stepped beyond the studio for its first live event before a standing-room-only audience, a sign of the growing demand for serious conversations about the challenges facing our country and the world. This public engagement aligns with Hoover’s ongoing support of Stanford students. Hoover scholars continue to teach as many 100 courses at Stanford each academic year, and more than 40 Stanford students assist in research projects through Hoover’s Student Fellowship Program.

All of this work is possible only because of your support.

Your generosity enables Hoover scholars to confront the defining questions of our time with seriousness, independence, and courage. At a moment when democratic institutions face mounting pressure around the world, Hoover remains committed to advancing the ideas that strengthen freedom, expand opportunity, and secure peace.

As America enters its next 250 years, our goal is to help ensure that this nation remains a beacon of liberty, opportunity, and democratic leadership for generations to come.

Thank you again for your partnership and your belief in Hoover’s mission.

Sincerely,

Condoleezza Rice

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