2012 Camden Conference

The US in a 21st Century World: Do We Have What it Takes?

February 17-19, 2012

The 25th annual Camden Conference, The U.S. in a 21st Century World: Do We Have What it Takes?, took place on February 17-19. The second half of the twentieth century was a time of almost nonstop American ascendancy. In many ways, we are still ahead of much of the rest of the world, but storm clouds are gathering. We have become the world’s largest debtor nation. Our education system is producing students who rank just average, or even below, among other nations. Popular approval of our federal elected officials is at a record low, and the citizenry generally believes that Washington is broken and incapable of dealing with the series issues we face. Do we have what it takes for the twenty-first century? The 2012 Camden Conference takes an introspective look at US competitiveness in a rapidly changing global environment, along with our multiple domestic challenges–economic, political and social.