Executive Director, Civitas Institute
The University of Texas at Austin
Ryan
Streeter
Ryan Streeter writes and lectures about economic dynamism, social mobility, civil society, and the future of cities. Trained as a political philosopher, he has spent his career building research organizations and serving as a policy advisor in city hall, the statehouse, and the White House.
Recent writing All writing →
Dynamism and Its Enemies
Edited by Ryan Streeter. University of Texas Press.
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Ideas in practice
Ryan Streeter is executive director of the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin. Previously, he was the State Farm James Q. Wilson Scholar and director of domestic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, where he oversaw research in education, technology, housing, urban policy, poverty studies, workforce development, and public opinion. Before joining AEI, he was executive director of the Center for Politics and Governance at UT Austin.
Earlier in his career, Streeter was a senior fellow at the Legatum Institute in London and a research fellow at the Hudson Institute. He served as special assistant for domestic policy to President George W. Bush, deputy chief of staff for policy to Indiana Governor Mike Pence, and policy adviser to Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith.
He is the author, coauthor, and editor of many books, most recently Dynamism and Its Enemies (University of Texas Press, 2025), Doing Right by Kids (AEI Press, 2024), co-edited with Scott Winship and Yuval Levin, and The Future of Cities (AEI Press), co-edited with Joel Kotkin. His writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Politico, USA Today, City Journal, National Affairs, and National Review, among others.
He holds a Ph.D. in political philosophy from Emory University.
Career
- NowExecutive Director, Civitas Institute, The University of Texas at Austin
- AEIState Farm James Q. Wilson Scholar; Director of Domestic Policy Studies
- UT AustinExecutive Director, Center for Politics and Governance
- Legatum InstituteSenior Fellow, London
- Hudson InstituteResearch Fellow
- The White HouseSpecial Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy
- State of IndianaDeputy Chief of Staff for Policy, Office of the Governor
- IndianapolisPolicy Adviser to Mayor Stephen Goldsmith
Books, reports & articles
Books, research reports, and essays and commentary in the Wall Street Journal, National Review, National Affairs, The Atlantic, City Journal and elsewhere.
Books
Reports and Studies
Articles
Talks, interviews & television
Lectures, panels, podcasts, congressional testimony, and television appearances.
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Keynotes, panels, and briefings on dynamism, aspiration, and cities.
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Everything else
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On the desk
Books I'm reading, rereading, and recommending, with a line on why.