Emergency Management Suffers from Small Government Idealism
Since its creation, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has had its greatest success under Democratic presidents and suffered its worst failures under Republican presidents, who prefer to shrink or eliminate the agency despite the bipartisan wishes of state governments that are desperate for federal coordination and support when natural and man-made disasters occur.
Leader Spotlight
William Neil: Using AI To Improve Recycling
2026-10-06T10:34:17-05:00Always the go-to guy for recycling information among his friends and colleagues, data architect William Neil created a recycling app that makes it easier for people to be better stewards of our planet and its resources.
Progress Updates
Repeated tax cuts over decades have created perpetual budget deficits, resulting in a record-high national debt that has placed pressure on elected officials to cut funding for essential programs like Social Security and Medicare.
Amid the often confusing debate around climate change and the pros and cons of our energy options, three recent reports from climate- and energy-focused news media look at how rising temperatures impact clean energy sources — an important factor in choosing a way forward.
Viewpoint
Not long after posting to The American Leader’s Facebook page that Virginia Del. Dan Helmer “wanted to ensure Virginia students learn the truth about January 6”, a commenter asked, “Whose truth?” The question reflects a radical departure from the common framework for understanding the world that is a cornerstone of our democracy.
Is the Trump government an administration or a regime? The debate has been ongoing since he first took office in 2017 and has only become more relevant in his second term. This article explains why we use the term "regime" to describe the second Trump presidency.
Setting Priorities
“You do the math. You solve one problem, then you solve the next one and then the next and if you solve enough problems you get to come home.”
— Mark Watney, the astronaut played by actor Matt Damon in the film, The Martian, when asked how he survived while stranded on Mars for a year
We have many critical problems today that need solving, but not every problem can be our top priority all at the same time. Our challenge is to establish a common set of priorities so that they don’t compete with each other for attention and resources. If we are successful, we won’t get to go home like Mark Watney, but we will make our home more politically, socially, and ecologically sustainable.
History and Analysis
Our Focus
The American Leader is a news and reference resource aimed at surfacing and keeping front-and-center the ideas, knowledge, and aspirations needed to address the nation’s systemic problems – because solving those problems is how we protect our democracy. Often hidden beneath the surface of the 24/7 stream of headlines and attention seekers is a deep bench of American leaders who are attempting bold or innovative ideas to solve the systemic problems that shape our lives. Like noise-cancelling headphones, we eliminate the distortions, distractions, and obfuscations of the news cycle, so that you can learn from these leaders, get inspired, and do something that makes life a little better for your community.
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