2026 Main Program
This program will explore the forces shaping opportunity in America, if anything, can be done to preserve it. How has our understanding of the Dream evolved since the nation's founding, and should it be redefind for the realities of today? Our panelists, drawing on both domestic and international perspectives, will discuss how today's leaders access and respond to these challenges, and what they believe must be considered to strengthen the American Dream for the next generation.
Welcome to MSC Wiley’s 2026 Main Program
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, the nation reflects on the meaning and durability of the American Dream. Long associated with opportunity, liberty, and the promise of advancement across generations, it has shaped how Americans understand their country and its institutions. Yet declining economic mobility, rising cost of living, and growing skepticism toward public institutions have prompted renewed debate about how opportunity in the United States is created and sustained.
As these changes redefine the relationship between citizens and the institutions that shape opportunity, the discussion will consider what it will take to sustain the Dream in the years ahead. After 250 years of the American experiment, a central question remains: Can the American Dream endure?
The panel of speakers includes:
- President Bajram Begaj, President of the Republic of Albania
- Elaine Chao, 24th U.S. Secretary of Labor and 18th U.S. Secretary of Transportation
- Jon Meacham, Presidential Historian and Pulitzer-Prize Winning Author
- Moderated by Andrew (Andy) Card, Former White House Chief of Staff
Join us on April 22, at 7 PM at the Rudder Auditorium at Texas A&M University.