Issues at stake in the 2024 election: Revitalizing American industry

After decades of stagnation and decline, U.S. advanced industries such as semiconductors, biomanufacturing, and clean power generation are experiencing an investment boom, aided in part by major new federal investment programs. How can those investments deliver high-quality economic opportunities for a diverse array of workers, small businesses, and communities? And what role should public policies play in sustaining local industrial revitalization, particularly in transitioning regions like Pittsburgh?

On April 24, the Brookings Institution, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Pittsburgh hosted an event to explore these issues in the context of the 2024 election, with its implications for the future growth of industry in southwestern Pennsylvania and beyond. The program featured state and local officials, national thought leaders, and regional experts to discuss the growth of advanced industries; how federal, state, and local development decisions can best support that growth; and how voter choices in 2024 could impact future access to good jobs and economic opportunity in the region and state.

This event was a part of Election ’24: Issues at Stake, a Brookings initiative that aims to bring public attention to consequential policy issues confronting voters and policymakers in the run up to the 2024 election. This includes equipping leaders with insights and policy ideas to help them govern in 2025 and beyond.