National Affairs

National Affairs is a quarterly publication that features essays focused on domestic policy, political economy, societal issues, culture, and political philosophy. Its goal is to encourage Americans to think clearly about public matters and to enhance their ability to engage in self-governance. Housed at the American Enterprise Institute, the journal includes contributions from a wide range of authors, including academics, journalists, policy specialists, and political professionals, each bringing their unique perspectives. While the journal has a consistent viewpoint, it does not adhere to any specific political party. It is rooted in a confident and proud vision of America, believing that our strengths can help us tackle our weaknesses. Key strengths highlighted include our democratic capitalism, our commitment to liberty and equality under the law, and our ties to Western traditions. Each issue presents engaging yet serious essays covering a variety of domestic topics, from economics and healthcare to education and welfare, as well as current legal debates and persistent societal challenges. The journal pays special attention to the fundamental theoretical questions surrounding American self-governance, aiming to challenge conventional wisdom, clarify complex issues, provide actionable proposals, and highlight influential ideas in politics. In this effort, we draw inspiration from The Public Interest, a journal that significantly contributed to public discourse with its clarity and insight for many years. Our hope is to offer similar support to Americans as they navigate the challenges of a new era and to provide a platform for emerging thinkers and writers eager to impact national discussions.

National

English

Journal

Outlet metrics

Domain Authority

Ranking

Global

#515685

United States

#178436

Law and Government/Law and Government

#431

Traffic sources

Monthly visitors

Articles

Domestic Intervention

1 week ago | nationalaffairs.com | Kevin Lewis

May 07, 2025 Reexamining Lackluster Productivity Growth in ConstructionDaniel Garcia & Raven MolloyRegional Science and Urban Economics, June 2025Abstract:Of all major industries, construction is the only one to have registered negative average productivity growth since 1987. Mechanically, this lackluster performance owes to the fact that indexes measuring the cost of building a constant-quality structure have risen much faster than those measuring the cost of producing other goods.
Lawfare

1 week ago | nationalaffairs.com | Kevin Lewis

May 05, 2025 The Political Court: Newspaper Coverage, Appointment Politics, and Public Support of the United States Supreme Court, 1980-2023Joshua Boston & Christopher KrewsonPolitical Communication, forthcomingAbstract:The public expects courts to behave as legal institutions. But news media coverage of courts often contradicts that expectation.
Natural Health

1 week ago | nationalaffairs.com | Kevin Lewis

May 06, 2025 The rising income gradient in life expectancy in Sweden over six decadesJohannes Hagen et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 8 April 2025Abstract:This study examines the long-term association between income and life expectancy in Sweden between 1960 and 2021. The study is based on register data that include all Swedish permanent residents aged 40 y and older.
Selling Points

1 week ago | nationalaffairs.com | Kevin Lewis

May 04, 2025 Threading the Needle of Corporate Activism: How Firms Frame Their Stances on Polarizing Social IssuesSung Hun (Brian) Chung, Kate Odziemkowska & Alessandro PiazzaAcademy of Management Journal, forthcomingAbstract:Corporate activism, or the active involvement of business in contested social and political issues, presents strategic challenges for organizations. Despite the risks of stakeholder backlash, corporate activism is on the rise.
Party Knowledge

1 week ago | nationalaffairs.com | Kevin Lewis

May 02, 2025 The Role of Political Partisanship and Moral Beliefs in Leadership SelectionHarrison Miller et al. Social Psychological and Personality Science, forthcomingAbstract:What roles do political partisanship and moral beliefs play in people's support for particular leaders?
Old Controversies

1 week ago | nationalaffairs.com | Kevin Lewis

May 03, 2025 More Error than Minority: Gendered Burial Practices Align with Peptide-based Sex Identification in Early Bronze Age Burials in Central EuropeKatharina Rebay-Salisbury et al. Cambridge Archaeological Journal, forthcomingAbstract:The Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age (c. 2900-1600 BC) of Central Europe are characterized by burial practices that strongly differentiate between men and women through body placement and orientation in the grave, as well as through grave goods.
Relatively Moral

2 weeks ago | nationalaffairs.com | Kevin Lewis

April 29, 2025 People Are More Moral in Uncertain EnvironmentsYiting Chen & Songfa ZhongEconometrica, March 2025, Pages 439-462Abstract:We conduct a series of experiments and document a robust behavioral pattern whereby people behave more morally in uncertain environments than degenerate deterministic ones. We show that this pattern is weakened when the moral implication of behavior is diminished or when uncertainty pertains to others rather than oneself.
Medically Necessary

2 weeks ago | nationalaffairs.com | Kevin Lewis

April 28, 2025 Does Physician-Hospital Vertical Integration Signal Care-Coordination? Evidence from Mover-Stayer Analysis of Commercially Insured EnrolleesWilliam Encinosa & Avi DorJournal of Health Economics, May 2025Abstract:The sharp growth in physician groups being purchased by hospitals has sparked extensive policy debate, with little evidence on the merits of such integration. We fill the gap by examining care-coordination under integration.
Brownish Green

2 weeks ago | nationalaffairs.com | Kevin Lewis

April 30, 2025 Did shale gas green the U.S. economy? David Lindequist & Samuel SelentEnergy Economics, May 2025Abstract:Since the mid-2000s, hydraulic fracturing (’fracking’) has significantly altered the U.S. energy landscape through a surge in shale gas production. Employing synthetic control methods, we evaluate the effect of the shale gas boom on U.S. emissions and various energy metrics. We find that the boom reduced average annual greenhouse gas emissions per capita by roughly 7.5%.
Gender Work

2 weeks ago | nationalaffairs.com | Kevin Lewis

April 24, 2025 Do People Lead Men and Women Differently? Multimethod Evidence That Group Gender Affects Leaders’ DominanceHolly Engstrom et al. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, forthcomingAbstract:Leaders’ behavior can powerfully alter group outcomes. In a programmatic series of preregistered studies, we provide the first rigorous test of whether and why leaders behave differently toward groups of men versus women.