America Begins a New Era, and Closes the Book on Another

As Trump takes office, read what Brookings experts have written about Obama’s legacy and how Trump can succeed. View this email in your browser [here]. [The Brookings Brief] January 21, 2016 [Brookings on Twitter] [Brookings on Facebook] [Brookings on YouTube] New this week President Trump is in the White House, and a new era in American politics and history has begun. Here are some of our experts’ best ideas for how the administration can see early success and begin the hard work of keeping the many promises Trump has made: - Trump understood the frustration of American workers displaced by international trade, and won his election in part by promising to help them. [Mark Muro and Joseph Parilla outline] a few ways he can improve existing programs to do just that. - [Dan Byman offers a thorough essay] on how Trump can effectively fight terror by learning from the failures of the past two administrations but also continue their primary success of the past 15 years: averting another 9/11. - [Martin Indyk thinks that] Trump’s plan to put a U.S. embassy in Jerusalem just might jumpstart a stagnant Israeli-Palestinian peace process. - Richard Reeves served in a coalition government in the U.K. and [has five suggestions] for how a similar coalition between Republican populists and conservatives might survive. Meanwhile, President Obama leaves office with a strong economy and his highest approval rating in years. He also carries with him a legacy that has become more in doubt over the past few months. More from Brookings experts: - [Elaine Kamarck argues] that by failing to nurture a Democratic party that could hold on to the White House, Obama played a role in ensuring that many of his legacies would be short-lived. - [Bill Galston writes] that even if Trump and Republicans in Congress undo Obama’s policy achievements, his effect on U.S. polarization and his positive personal legacy will endure. - [Shadi Hamid explains] how Obama's deep intellectualism and his insistence on a fact-based foreign policy prevented him from taking bold action in the Middle East. - [In a just-released episode of the Brookings Cafeteria Podcast], Elaine Kamarck shares insight on Obama’s transition into the real world and the role that former presidents play in American civic life. What our experts are reading [Another Chetty bomb.] This time on colleges for upward mobility. This is huge, huge stuff. ([@Richardvreeves]) [Important finding] from Lucas Goodman: No "welfare magnet" response to state ACA Medicaid expansions. ([@Kearney_Melissa]) The great Kori Schake with [a powerful response] to Susan Hennessey and I on Chelsea Manning. ([@BenjaminWittes]) [Follow Us On Twitter] • [Like Us On Facebook] • [Come to An Event At Brookings][Get The Latest on the Brookings Now Blog] [Share on Facebook] [Share on Twitter] [Share on Email] The conclusions and recommendations of any Brookings publication are solely those of its author(s), and do not reflect the views of the Institution, its management, or its other scholars. © The Brookings Institution 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036 You received this email because you signed up to receive the Brookings Brief. [Receive the Brief less often] | [Update your subscriptions] | [Unsubscribe from all Brookings email]