Michael R. Strain is the director of Economic Policy Studies, and the Arthur F. Burns Scholar in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he oversees the Institute’s work in economic policy, financial markets, international trade and finance, tax and budget policy, welfare economics, health care policy, and related areas.

Dr. Strain is the author of “The American Dream Is Not Dead: (But Populism Could Kill It)” (Templeton Press, 2020).

Before joining AEI, Dr. Strain worked in the Center for Economic Studies at the US Census Bureau and in the macroeconomics research group at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Dr. Strain’s research focuses on labor economics, public finance, and social policy, and his papers have been published in peer-reviewed academic journals and policy journals such as Tax Notes and National Affairs. He is the editor or coeditor of three books: “What Has Happened to the American Working Class Since the Great Recession?” (American Academy of Political and Social Science, 2021); “The US Labor Market: Questions and Challenges for Public Policy” (AEI Press, 2016); and “Economic Freedom and Human Flourishing: Perspectives from Political Philosophy” (AEI Press, 2016). He was a member of the AEI-Brookings Working Group on Poverty and Opportunity, which published the report “Opportunity, Responsibility, and Security: A Consensus Plan for Reducing Poverty and Restoring the American Dream.”

He also writes frequently for popular audiences, and his essays and op-eds have been published by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, National Review, and The Weekly Standard, among others. He is a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion.

A frequent guest on radio and television, Dr. Strain is regularly interviewed by news networks including CNBC, MSNBC, and NPR. He has testified before Congress and speaks often to a variety of audiences.

Dr. Strain has a PhD in economics from Cornell University. He is a graduate of Marquette University and holds an MA from New York University.