U.S. Government’s own Center for Strategic Foresight

Nan Nelson, Board member

In 2018 the Government Accountability Office established the Center for Strategic Foresight to identify major issues, challenges and opportunities. The latest report on trends affecting government and society provides a strategic plan for lawmakers, including key trends in a dozen areas:

• National security threats include a rise in violent extremism tied to conspiracy theories and misinformation.

• Federal debt – increasing federal debt makes a fiscal crisis more likely.

• Catastrophic biological incidents indicate the need for a more resilient medical chain.

• Racial and ethnic disparities in society are evident in housing, health and access to voting.

• Science and technology research and development – public investment is declining.

• Security issues arise from our increasing reliance on digital technology, and they include vulnerability to cybercrime and other threats.

• New technologies are changing the U.S. workforce.

• The Global Supply Chain is suffering disruptions due to the pandemic, trade wars and other global crises.

• Online learning and technology, increasing in use, present both opportunities and challenges.

• Evolving health technologies, such as artificial intelligence, yield efficiencies but raise privacy concerns.

• Critical natural resources – their availability is threatened in an increasingly stressed environment.

• Space is seeing increased use for national security, commercial and human exploration.You can watch a short introductory video here or read the full report here.