Emily Chamlee-Wright
banner
emilychamleewright.bsky.social
Emily Chamlee-Wright
@emilychamleewright.bsky.social
President @theIHS.org. We support and connect scholars and thought leaders advancing the liberal project.
Grateful to @rstreet.bsky.social for the chance to share my perspective on how we can “fireproof” the foundations of a free society.

These are challenging times, but I believe resilience is built when we stay true to the liberal principles that underlie those foundations.

Link in the replies👇
September 16, 2025 at 7:10 PM
We don’t need better saviors, we need better guardrails.

In my new piece for Persuasion, I explain why strengthening institutional guardrails is the surest way to protect liberal democracy, regardless of who wins the next election.

www.persuasion.community/p/rules-matt...
Rules Matter More Than Rulers
A thought experiment for a post-Trump America.
www.persuasion.community
August 12, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Today, “transparency" often comes at the cost of freedom. What if donor privacy isn't a loophole—but a liberal safeguard? Civil society thrives when donors can give without fear of reprisal. That’s not secrecy. That’s liberty. My latest in @dispatchmedia.bsky.social:
thedispatch.com/article/dono...
Society Needs Philanthropic Privacy
State-mandated publication of donor rolls will harm the American experiment.
thedispatch.com
July 17, 2025 at 8:21 PM
A university that must wait for political permission slips is no longer a university. It’s an instrument of the state.

That’s the risk we face now, and Harvard is on the front line.

My latest from @liberalcurrents.com. 👇

www.liberalcurrents.com/harvards-fig...
Harvard’s Fight Is a Defense of Democracy and Civic Virtue
Harvard’s case will set precedent for every college that relies on federal grants or hosts international students.
www.liberalcurrents.com
July 8, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Reposted by Emily Chamlee-Wright
A new piece by @emilychamleewright.bsky.social in @insidehighered.com‬ reminds us that if the university loses its soul, liberal democracy may lose its cornerstone.
www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...
June 17, 2025 at 9:22 PM
American universities were founded to nurture free minds, not compliant subjects.

If higher ed is to remain a cornerstone of liberal democracy, it must reclaim the values that make dissent possible.

My latest in @insidehighered.com:

www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...
Higher Ed Must Recommit to Its Enlightenment Roots (opinion)
Universities’ own mistakes helped pave the way for government attacks on academic freedom, Emily Chamlee-Wright writes.
www.insidehighered.com
June 17, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Reposted by Emily Chamlee-Wright
The free exchange of ideas isn’t combat—it’s collaboration.

At the @rstreet.bsky.social Real Solutions Summit, @emilychamleewright.bsky.social joined Sabrina Schaeffer and Eli Lake to discuss how thoughtful disagreement fosters intellectual and civic growth.

🎥 Watch: youtu.be/w-4Ne2mE6Dw?...
June 12, 2025 at 4:43 PM
If civic discourse is a muscle, America’s is atrophying.
Let’s strengthen it again.

Thank you Sabrina Schaefer and @rstreet.bsky.social for reminding us that liberty takes practice.
www.nationalreview.com/2025/06/self...
Self-Government Takes Practice. We’ve Stopped Rehearsing | National Review
From Madison’s literary society to today’s campus silencing, we forgot what democracy requires.
www.nationalreview.com
June 11, 2025 at 2:33 PM
In the 15th century, the printing press threatened the gatekeepers of knowledge.

AI may be today’s Gutenberg moment, and it’s raising the same old fears.
June 2, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Reposted by Emily Chamlee-Wright
“The marketplace of ideas—it’s not combat, it’s a contest.”

What would change if we treated debate as a sport, not a war?

Watch IHS President @emilychamleewright.bsky.social's panel from @rstreet.bsky.social's 2025 Real Solutions Summit on American discourse:

youtu.be/w-4Ne2mE6Dw?...
2025 Real Solutions Summit: Eli Lake and Emily Chamlee-Wright on American Discourse
YouTube video by R Street Institute
youtu.be
May 21, 2025 at 4:07 PM
The marketplace of ideas isn’t combat. It’s a contest—and contests, unlike wars, can make everyone better.

Disagreement gives us a chance to grow.

Don’t miss my conversation with Sabrina Schaeffer and Eli Lake at @rstreet.bsky.social's Real Solutions Summit:
youtu.be/w-4Ne2mE6Dw?...
2025 Real Solutions Summit: Eli Lake and Emily Chamlee-Wright on American Discourse
YouTube video by R Street Institute
youtu.be
May 16, 2025 at 5:29 PM
The president's tariffs aren’t just economically reckless—they betray the principles that gave birth to the US.

They sidestep Congress, defy the Constitution, & abandon our commitment to free exchange & consent of the governed.

My latest at Persuasion: www.persuasion.community/p/these-tari...
April 4, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Markets and civil society rely on stable rules of the game. When government acts erratically, we’re much less likely to invest in America’s future.

My latest for Persuasion: www.persuasion.community/p/what-errat...
What Erratic Government Does to a Country
Unpredictability is bad for business.
www.persuasion.community
March 11, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Reposted by Emily Chamlee-Wright
"Regime uncertainty"—the fear that government rules can change at any time—stalls investment and chokes economic growth. President of IHS Emily Chamlee-Wright explains how unpredictable trade & immigration policies impact the country.

Read more: www.persuasion.community/p/what-errat...
February 28, 2025 at 5:41 PM