iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Only two days until the Michigan Blue Economy Summit in Flint, Michigan convenes. Symbolically important as we flip the script from Michigan being the place with water "problems" to being the home of global water solutions! Not too late to join us. Sign up here: us.aquaaction.org/.../michigan...

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Looking forward to getting back to Flint, Michigan where I will give the keynote talk next Wednesday Sept. 23rd at the Michigan Blue Economy Summit. Join us to talk through how to accelerate the growth of our Blue Economy. Sign up here: us.aquaaction.org/events/michi...

us.aquaaction.org

Michigan Blue Economy Summit

Join AquaAction on September 23, 2026, to learn about Michigan's Blue Economy and the launch of AquaEntrepreneur Michigan

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Wednesday September 23 join us at Univ. of Michigan-Flint to talk through how we keep growing our Michigan #Blueeconomy. Michigan and the Great Lakes region can be the world's leader in smart water technology businesses and solving the world's water challenges!

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

In our latest work learn what leaders who want to deliver better lives for their constituents and strengthen our democracies must do to turn out authoritarians and those who seek to mimic them. @gettysburg2024.bsky.social @aia-nrw.bsky.social jespublications.substack.com/p/new-report...

jespublications.substack.com

New Report Examines ‘How Democracy Can Be Reclaimed’

Jefferson Educational Society + The Eisenhower Institute

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Proud of Canada & Mark Carney for not kow-towing to Trump. Prices for US consumers will only increase further--all as the result of Trump's actions--making him & his Republican enablers in Congress even more unpopular. Easier to drive from office. Thanks Canada! www.nytimes.com/2026/08/24/o...

nytimes.com

Opinion | Mark Carney Did What Canadians Elected Him to Do

Mark Carney has chosen suffering, but he did what Canadians elected him to do.

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

In recent years Poland & Hungary took back their democracies from illiberal autocrats working to tear them down. Americans are working furiously to take back Congress to check our own authoritarian. Learn how to reclaim democracy in our new report! jespublications.substack.com/p/new-report...

jespublications.substack.com

New Report Examines ‘How Democracy Can Be Reclaimed’

Jefferson Educational Society + The Eisenhower Institute

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

In the US, and across Europe leaders who want to improve the lives of their people battle for political power against anti-democratic ethnonationalist movements. Read our distillation of insights shared by democracy defenders--how the good guys win! jespublications.substack.com/p/new-report...

jespublications.substack.com

New Report Examines ‘How Democracy Can Be Reclaimed’

Jefferson Educational Society + The Eisenhower Institute

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

After years dismantling democracy & enriching himself, his family, and his friends Hungary's Viktor Orbán was run out of office. Our new article details how the Hungarian people were able to reclaim their democracy. @gettysburg2024.bsky.social jespublications.substack.com/p/new-report...

jespublications.substack.com

New Report Examines ‘How Democracy Can Be Reclaimed’

Jefferson Educational Society + The Eisenhower Institute

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Leading practitioners of democratic resilience in Hungary, Poland, the US & the UK— offer practical guidance on how to reclaim democracies, even after they are hijacked by authoritarians! Catch our latest work! jespublications.substack.com/p/new-report...

jespublications.substack.com

New Report Examines ‘How Democracy Can Be Reclaimed’

Jefferson Educational Society + The Eisenhower Institute

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Obscured by the chaos in Iran, #Trump's tariffs and economic policy chaos at home are doing damage to what was a thriving domestic US manufacturing industry. Read how and why in my new piece out via Home of the Brave. newsletter.ofthebrave.org/p/trumps-man...

newsletter.ofthebrave.org

Trump’s Manufacturing Policy is All Smoke and Mirrors

America didn’t “lose” manufacturing. We’re actually just doing it better and smarter.

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Contrary to popular wisdom, US manufacturing is not "dead" or "dying". It was not even sick. Until Trump's tariffs came along. Read what is really going on with American manufacturing in this Home of the Brave Substack. open.substack.com/pub/ofthebra...

open.substack.com

Trump’s Manufacturing Policy is All Smoke and Mirrors

America didn’t “lose” manufacturing. We’re actually just doing it better and smarter.

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

If democracies don't make the investments needed to create economic opportunity-- particularly for the next generation--we risk continued destruction of our societies from anti-liberal authoritarians. Read my latest @aia-nrw.bsky.social heartlandstransformationnetwork.substack.com/p/what-is-de...

heartlandstransformationnetwork.substack.com

What is Democracy Worth?

A recent study from the Centre for the Future of Democracy at the University of Cambridge found that among young people—the generations billed as Millennials and Gen Z—faith in democracy is at its low...

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

It has been 15 years since federal dollars started flowing in Great Lakes clean-up efforts--powered by the fact that this is a terrific investment in building our #blueeconomy. Join me in at this Wednesday's celebration of our Great Lakes and #Blueeconomy

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

The survival of democracy demands a political overhaul and relentless focus on improving livelihoods of people. Otherwise, history shows when citizens struggle they welcome the strongman who promises to fix things. Read my latest heartlandstransformationnetwork.substack.com/p/what-is-de...

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

20+ years ago with The Brookings Institution I created the Great Lakes Economic Initiative. 15 years ago we began to clean up the Great Lakes, and build out a new, #Blueeconomy. Macomb County, Michigan has been a leader. Looking forward to this celebration August 12th.

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Is it worth bargaining away some freedoms democracy for better living standards and quality of life? Very disturbing as economies fail, people are willing to answer, yes! Read my new piece on what history teaches us about this bargain. heartlandstransformationnetwork.substack.com/p/what-is-de...

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Just when our Midwest #manufacturing industry, challenged for decades by new foreign competition, finds its legs and is wildly successful globally, #Trump & tariffs come along to pull manufacturing down. Read my new article: heartlandstransformationnetwork.substack.com/p/american-m...

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Looking forward next week to joining all my friends in Macomb County & deliver the keynote talk at this Great Lakes Conference. I will tell how we began to build out our blue economy and how we can lead the world in this work into the future! Join us!

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Like so many promises #Trump's pledge to support manufacturing in Michigan & across the industrial heartland rings hollow. Use of #tariffs for political game-playing is damaging this wildly competitive sector of the American economy. heartlandstransformationnetwork.substack.com/p/american-m...

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Trump's latest round of tariffs actually will do more damage to the manufacturing sector and the manufacturing-reliant communities like in my home state of Michigan he promised he would help. Read the real story of how manufacturing "works" in my article out from @milkeninstitute.org

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

The US manufacturing worker is the most productive on the planet at $140,000 value-added per worker, 7 times the Chinese worker-- and $100,000 more per person than second-place South Korea. Get the real story in @milkeninstitute.org Review www.milkenreview.org/articles/ame...

milkenreview.org

American Manufacturing

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

President Trump's latest efforts to tariff other countries, mainly so he can try and push them around, only tends to hurt our wildly competitive US manufacturing industry more! Read my latest "Manufacturing: The Real Story" out from Milken Institute. www.milkenreview.org/articles/ame...

milkenreview.org

American Manufacturing

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

A strong economy is not helped by tariffs, nor picking industry "winners and losers". Government can help by investing in the “public goods” that in turn fuel innovation and economic growth. Read Manufacturing the Real Story! heartlandstransformationnetwork.substack.com/p/american-m...

heartlandstransformationnetwork.substack.com

American Manufacturing

The Real Story

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

A conventional wisdom is that American manufacturing has been laid low by globalization, indifference to the plight of workers and unfair foreign competition. In fact, US manufacturing has never been more productive or output higher. Via @milkeninstitute.org www.milkenreview.org/articles/ame...

milkenreview.org

American Manufacturing

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Manufacturing in US is not "dead" or even "dying". It's wildly competitive, high-tech, & producing more wealth and economic value than ever before. Tariffs don't help manufacturing, but help destroy it. Read my mfg. primer in @milkeninstitute.org www.milkenreview.org/articles/ame...

milkenreview.org

American Manufacturing

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Catch my essay "American Manufacturing: The Real Story" Contrary to popular wisdom, US' Michigan & Midwest-centric manufacturing industry does not need "saving". It's wildly productive, high-tech & globally competitive. Until you do things like impose tariffs.... www.milkenreview.org/articles/ame...

milkenreview.org

American Manufacturing

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Catch a number of good articles and examples around how transatlantic collaboration can keep paying dividends in terms of economic development and democratic resilience, including my own in @aia-nrw.bsky.social Magazine www.aia-nrw.org/en/publicati...

aia-nrw.org

Subnational Diplomacy Shaping Global Affairs – Academy of International Affairs NRW

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

@andyburnham.bsky.social taking small steps important to bring hope & economic opportunity back to people and places so long ignored. Read my piece in @washingtonmonthly.bsky.social why this task is important across all democracies. @andywestwood.bsky.social washingtonmonthly.com/2026/07/20/a...

washingtonmonthly.com

Andy Burnham’s Challenge

Andy Burnham has built his politics around Britain’s neglected industrial communities. His premiership depends on if he can deliver for them.

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

One year ago I was in the middle of my six-month Fellowship at @aia-nrw.bsky.social travelling across Europe to meet with economy builders & democracy-defenders and engage them our #Heartlands Transformation Network. All these activities & more in new magazine www.aia-nrw.org/en/publicati...

aia-nrw.org

Subnational Diplomacy Shaping Global Affairs – Academy of International Affairs NRW

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

On his way to #10, @andyburnham.bsky.social name-checked the hollowed out communities he would focus on and try to lift up. Delivering for these type of communities can help preserve and protect our democracies everywhere. Read @washingtonmonthly.bsky.social washingtonmonthly.com/2026/07/20/a...

washingtonmonthly.com

Andy Burnham’s Challenge

Andy Burnham has built his politics around Britain’s neglected industrial communities. His premiership depends on if he can deliver for them.

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

As @andywestwood.bsky.social & I write via @washingtonmonthly.bsky.social Economic transformation is possible even in former industrial heartlands hit hard by globalization & technological change. Lots of examples from our work with @oecd-ocde.bsky.social washingtonmonthly.com/2026/07/20/a...

washingtonmonthly.com

Andy Burnham’s Challenge

Andy Burnham has built his politics around Britain’s neglected industrial communities. His premiership depends on if he can deliver for them.

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

In US, Europe, & the UK, people inplaces where livelihoods are diminished & anxieties about the future high often turn to the politics of scapegoating like that offered by @nigelfarageuk.bsky.social & Reform. @andyburnham.bsky.social can change that. Read via @washingtonmonthly.bsky.social

washingtonmonthly.com

Andy Burnham’s Challenge

Andy Burnham has built his politics around Britain’s neglected industrial communities. His premiership depends on if he can deliver for them.

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

If leaders like @andyburnham.bsky.social can better the lives of working people in "left-behind" communities they can disable right-wing extremist movements! Sorely needed across democracies! Read via @washingtonmonthly.bsky.social @andywestwood.bsky.social washingtonmonthly.com/2026/07/20/a...

washingtonmonthly.com

Andy Burnham’s Challenge

Andy Burnham has built his politics around Britain’s neglected industrial communities. His premiership depends on if he can deliver for them.

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Britain's new PM @andyburnham.bsky.social helped bring new hope to residents of an ailing older industrial - Manchester. This delivery is the task of constructivist leaders across all democracies & pulls plug on support for extremes like #MAGA, #Reform & #AfD. postindustrial.com/stories/voic...

postindustrial.com

Voices: Can the “King of the North” heal Britain?

Discover how the United Kingdom has experienced significant economic challenges and the impact on living standards.

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

@andyburnham.bsky.social accepted the leadership of UK's Labour Party calling out communities where government had failed working people. Improving their lives is key to beating back nationalists & extremists everywhere! Read my latest @postindustrial.bsky.social postindustrial.com/stories/voic...

postindustrial.com

Voices: Can the “King of the North” heal Britain?

Discover how the United Kingdom has experienced significant economic challenges and the impact on living standards.

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Ethnonationalist political movements that threaten our democracies get their oxygen from the anger and anxiety of working class white people in declining industrial regions. That's why hopes are high for UK's incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Read my latest. postindustrial.com/stories/voic...

postindustrial.com

Voices: Can the “King of the North” heal Britain?

Discover how the United Kingdom has experienced significant economic challenges and the impact on living standards.

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Mayor Andy Burnham showed he could take one of Britain's ailing older industrial cities & bring it into the future. That's why hopes are high as for him as PM. It is also how one beats the extremes. Read my article in @postindustrial.bsky.social postindustrial.com/stories/voic...

postindustrial.com

Voices: Can the “King of the North” heal Britain?

Discover how the United Kingdom has experienced significant economic challenges and the impact on living standards.

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Hopes are so high for Andy Burnham as PM in UK is because he has actually delivered better lives for people in a struggling older industrial region. This is what is needed to beat back right-wing extremists everywhere. Read my latest in @postindustrial.bsky.social postindustrial.com/stories/voic...

postindustrial.com

Voices: Can the “King of the North” heal Britain?

Discover how the United Kingdom has experienced significant economic challenges and the impact on living standards.

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

UK's economy was once better than Germany's--now living standards falling to the level of the US' poorest state--Mississippi. And the largest geographic economic disparities among Western democracies. Can Burnham turn it around? Read: heartlandstransformationnetwork.substack.com/p/can-the-ki...

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

You are going to want to watch this video -- the program we recently hosted on how-- in democracies across the globe the people take back power from those who want to be authoritarians. www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2LE...

youtube.com

Reclaiming Democracy

YouTube video by Jefferson Educational Society Of Erie

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

England's football striker Harry Kane, just pulled the country back from brink of extinction at the #WorldCup. Can Greater Manchester's former Mayor Andy Burnham do the same for Britain's flagging economy & society. Read why it matters: heartlandstransformationnetwork.substack.com/p/can-the-ki...

heartlandstransformationnetwork.substack.com

Can the “King of the North” Heal Britain?

The same week that the UK’s Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, made a surprisingly swift return to Parliament and on to what looks like a Labour Party coronation as leader and ascension to Prime Minister...

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

As America prepares to celebrate the birth of our democracy-- and is working hard to keep it--important to learn lessons from across countries around how an engaged citizenry and local leaders can strengthen our representative governments. Read how: jespublications.substack.com/p/new-report...

jespublications.substack.com

New Report: Important Work to Protect Democracies is Happening Locally

Jefferson Educational Society + The Eisenhower Institute

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Reeling from declining living standards Britain's voters are frustrated and looking for big change. That is why hopes are high for @andyburnhampm.bsky.social. To better economy & beat back Reform. Read my latest Substack: heartlandstransformationnetwork.substack.com/p/can-the-ki...

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

Reclaiming #democracy from #authoritarians is hard but can be done. Poland did it several years ago. Hungary several months ago. But local leaders across democracies don't wait! organize, educate, and mobilize to prevent authoritarian takeover. Read how: jespublications.substack.com/p/new-report...

jespublications.substack.com

New Report: Important Work to Protect Democracies is Happening Locally

Jefferson Educational Society + The Eisenhower Institute

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

In Budapest, Hungary; Macomb County, Michigan; Erie, Pennsylvania; Bonn, Germany; Vienna, Austria; & all across Europe, local leaders are engaging citizens, educating the electorate & animating communities to create true democracies. Read how jespublications.substack.com/p/new-report...

jespublications.substack.com

New Report: Important Work to Protect Democracies is Happening Locally

Jefferson Educational Society + The Eisenhower Institute

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

In North America and Europe, democracy is under strain. Anti-democratic leaders and movement are trying to weaken democratic institutions and divide people against each other. But at the local level democracy defenders are fighting back. Read new report jespublications.substack.com/p/new-report...

jespublications.substack.com

New Report: Important Work to Protect Democracies is Happening Locally

Jefferson Educational Society + The Eisenhower Institute

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

As want-to-be authoritarian strongmen still threaten our democracies, local leaders are organizing citizens and practicing 'democratic front-sliding". Read how in our new report from @tamaraehs.bsky.social @gettysburg2024.bsky.social jespublications.substack.com/p/new-report...

jespublications.substack.com

New Report: Important Work to Protect Democracies is Happening Locally

Jefferson Educational Society + The Eisenhower Institute

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

As part of our #Heartlands Transformation Network--we convene leaders, experts & practitioners across countries around how we meet shared challenges in rebuilding economies and strengthening democracy. Catch our latest with @tamaraehs.bsky.social jespublications.substack.com/p/new-report...

jespublications.substack.com

New Report: Important Work to Protect Democracies is Happening Locally

Jefferson Educational Society + The Eisenhower Institute

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