Nat Malkus

Washington, D.C., United States

Host at The Report Card with Nat Malkus

Senior Fellow and Deputy Director at American Enterprise Institute

Resident Scholar & Deputy Director of Education Policy @AEI. God I trust: all others bring data.

Articles

Success (with Eva Moskowitz)

1 week ago | aei.org | Nat Malkus |Eva Moskowitz

On this episode of The Report Card, Nat Malkus speaks with Eva Moskowitz, the founder and CEO of Success Academy.
Fulfilling the Trust: College Trustee Leadership in a New Era

1 week ago | aei.org | With Preston Cooper |Preston Cooper |Nat Malkus |Sally Satel

For decades, the position of university trustee was largely a public honorific. This is changing. As Republican governors recognize that their public colleges are financially mismanaged, academically corrupt, and increasingly ideologically captured, they’re asking their appointees to do something about it.
Can Elite Higher Education Reform Itself?

2 weeks ago | aei.org | Frederick M. Hess |Nat Malkus |Sally Satel

In recent years, elite higher education has been rocked by concerns about politicization, campus intolerance, and declining academic rigor. The Trump administration has moved aggressively to address these issues, levying unprecedented financial penalties on high-profile institutions. How should leading universities respond? And are they willing and able to address the problems without Washington stepping in?
Education and the Second Trump Administration, 79 Days In

2 weeks ago | aei.org | Nat Malkus |Frederick M. Hess |Andrew J. Rotherham

A lot has happened in the education world over the last few weeks. President Trump signed an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education. The Trump administration has taken aggressive actions targeting elite universities and has threatened to withhold funding from K–12 schools over DEI programming. And the Department of Education said that states would lose nearly $3 billion in COVID relief funds after prior extensions on spending deadlines were rescinded.
Is American Civic Culture the Source of Our Challenges?

2 weeks ago | aei.org | With Yuval Levin |Christine Rosen |Yuval Levin |Nat Malkus

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, American democracy faces profound challenges in the form of declining trust in institutions and growing political and cultural divides. While policy solutions and institutional reforms are essential, they are not enough. The strength of our democracy depends on a civic culture that sustains it. Can we foster a shared set of norms, values, and beliefs that empower our institutions and help us navigate our differences?
How Much Money Is DOGE Saving Taxpayers?

1 month ago | aei.org | Nat Malkus |Ramesh Ponnuru |Philip A. Wallach |Kevin R. Kosar

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) posts weekly reports of cost savings on its “wall of receipts.” These savings have come from federal employee terminations, grant and contract cancellations, and stoppages of agency outlays. But several observers have been skeptical of the savings numbers DOGE claims, and others have called into question whether the department’s actions run afoul of congressional appropriations acts. Is DOGE actually saving the money it claims it’s saving?
Highly Infectious Avian Flu and the Price of Eggs: Are There Pathways to a Solution?

1 month ago | aei.org | Vincent Smith |Barry K. Goodwin |Todd Harrison |Nat Malkus

The recent outbreak of the highly infectious avian flu has disrupted agricultural markets and sent egg prices soaring, raising critical economic and public health concerns. Join AEI’s Barry K. Goodwin and Vincent H. Smith with industry and academic experts for an insightful discussion as they explore potential solutions, policy responses, and strategies to mitigate this and future animal health crises. Submit questions to or on X with #AskAEIEcon.
AEI Education Policy Debate Series: The US Supreme Court Should Rule in Favor of Oklahoma’s Religious Charter School. It’s Right on the Law and Policy.

1 month ago | aei.org | With Nat Malkus |Nat Malkus |Todd Harrison |Scott Winship

In June 2023, an Oklahoma charter school board approved the nation’s first religious charter school, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. In spring 2025, the US Supreme Court will consider whether a religious charter school violates the separation of church and state, or if denying a charter application because the school is Catholic constitute illegal religious discrimination. The case raises a host of education policy questions.
Education and the Second Trump Administration, 58 Days In

1 month ago | aei.org | Nat Malkus |Frederick M. Hess |Andrew J. Rotherham

Last week, more than 1,300 individuals at the Department of Education were laid off, including over 300 at Federal Student Aid, nearly 250 at the Office for Civil Rights, and over 100 at the Institute of Education Sciences. All told, since Trump took office, the workforce at the Department of Education has been cut nearly in half. What is the operating strategy behind these cuts? What effect will these cuts have on schools? And what do these cuts tell us about the Trump administration’s plans?
Should Congress Grant the NCAA an Antitrust Exemption?

1 month ago | aei.org | Nat Malkus

Since the Supreme Court’s 2021 decision in NCAA v. Alston paved the way for universities to pay student-athletes, college sports have changed dramatically. Now, the NCAA is asking for an antitrust exemption to help navigate these changes. The NCAA is surely facing a complex set of challenges, but an antitrust exemption is a big ask. This raises the question: Is an antitrust exemption a reasonable response to the current challenges facing college sports, a uniquely American institution?