Our Scholars
AEI scholars are committed to making the intellectual, moral, and practical case for expanding freedom, increasing individual opportunity, and strengthening the free enterprise system in America and around the world. Our work explores ideas that further these goals, and AEI scholars take part in this pursuit with academic freedom. AEI operates independently of any political party and has no institutional positions. Our scholars’ conclusions are fueled by rigorous, data-driven research and broad-ranging evidence.
Find a scholar by policy area:
Nonresident Senior Fellow 
Samuel J. Abrams
Research Areas
- Political behavior and participation
 - Inequality and social policy
 - Political history
 - Leadership and presidential politics
 - Federalism and institutions
 
Senior Fellow and Wilson H. Taylor Scholar in Health Care and Retirement Policy 
Joseph Antos
Research Areas
- Medicare
 - Medicaid
 - Affordable Care Act
 - Single-Payer Health Insurance
 - Uninsured
 - Cost of Prescription Drugs
 
Senior Fellow 
Leon Aron
Research Areas
- Russian domestic politics
 - Russian foreign policy
 - US-Russian relations
 - Post-Soviet evolution: social
 - cultural
 - and economic aspects
 
Nonresident Senior Fellow 
John Bailey
Research Areas
- Artificial intelligence (AI)
 - AI applications to education
 - K–12 issues
 - Innovation policy
 
Senior Fellow 
Claude Barfield
Research Areas
- International trade policy
 - Science and technology policy
 - The functioning of the GATT/WTO system
 
Senior Fellow Emeritus 
Michael Barone
Research Areas
- Politics
 - American government
 - Campaigns and elections
 - American political system
 
Nonresident Senior Fellow 
Robert J. Barro
Research Areas
- US economy
 - Economic growth
 - Monetary policy
 - Tax and budget policy
 
Nonresident Senior Fellow 
Michael Beckley
Research Areas
- US-China relations
 - US-China competition
 - American grand strategy
 - US defense policy
 - US alliances
 - US-Asia relations
 - China
 
Nonresident Senior Fellow 
Eric J. Belasco
Research Areas
- Agricultural policy
 - Farm subsidy programs
 - Crop insurance
 - Disaster aid
 
Senior Fellow 
Andrew G. Biggs
Research Areas
- Social Security reform
 - Public and private sector compensation
 - State and local government pensions
 
Nonresident Fellow 
Mason M. Bishop
Research Areas
 
- Workforce development
 - Employment and job training program reform
 - Career and technical education
 
Jeane Kirkpatrick Visiting Research Fellow 
Jason Blessing
Research Areas
- Cybersecurity
 - Military technological transformation
 - US cyber defense policy
 - NATO Transatlantic relations
 
Distinguished Senior Fellow Emeritus 
Karlyn Bowman
Research Areas
- Public opinion
 - Polls
 - Politics and elections
 - Demographic change
 - AEI history
 
Senior Fellow 
Hal Brands
Research Areas
- US defense strategy and policy
 - US grand strategy
 - US foreign policy
 
Senior Fellow 
Elisabeth Braw
Research Areas
- Hybrid and gray-zone threats
 - Non-kinetic threats
 - Nordic/Baltic countries
 - Germany
 - United Kingdom
 
Adjunct Fellow 
Michael Brickman
Research Areas
- Higher education
 - Education reform
 - Innovation in education reform
 
Senior Fellow 
Alex Brill
Research Areas
- Health care policy
 - US Economy
 - Tax policy
 - Retirement issues
 - Pharmaceutical industry
 - Labor markets
 
President Emeritus 
Arthur C. Brooks
Research Areas
- Free enterprise
 - Culture
 - Politics
 - Economic life in America
 - Social entrepreneurship
 - Philanthropy
 
Nonresident Senior Fellow, Technology Policy Studies 
Clay Calvert
Research Areas
- First Amendment law
 - Free speech controversies
 - Regulation of social media platforms
 - Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act
 























