James Pethokoukis, senior fellow and DeWitt Wallace Chair at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), speaks with Troy Mix, associate director at the University of Delaware's Institute for Public Administration, about his 2023 book, The Conservative Futurist: How to Create the Sci-Fi World We Were Promised (https://www.aei.org/research-products/book/the-conservative-futurist/). In this book, Mr. Pethokoukis advocates for embracing an “upwing” mindset to public policy that spurs innovation while ensuring economic security and broad quality of life improvements. This interview explores the importance of technological progress, the perils of downwing thinking, and the possibilities for public policy reform to chart a more upwing future.

As a Senior Fellow at AEI (https://www.aei.org/), Mr. Pethokoukis analyzes US economic policy, writes and edits the AEIdeas blog (https://www.aei.org/aeideas/), and hosts AEI’s Political Economy podcast (https://www.aei.org/tag/political-economy-podcast/). He is also a contributor to CNBC and writes the Faster, Please! ( https://fasterplease.substack.com/) newsletter on Substack.

This episode was recorded on November 6, 2023, for First State Insights, a podcast presented by the Institute for Public Administration (IPA). For more First State Insights episodes, visit https://soundcloud.com/first-state-insights or search for "First State Insights" wherever you listen to podcasts.

IPA is a research and public service center within the University of Delaware's Biden School of Public Policy & Administration. For more on IPA, visit https://www.bidenschool.udel.edu/ipa.

Opening and closing music: "I Dunno" by Grapes, used under Creative Commons 3.0 License.

Toward an Upwing Future

Tom DeWire, Founder and Principal Consultant of EdScale, speaks with Troy Mix, Associate Director of the University of Delaware's Institute for Public Administration (IPA), about his 2023 book, "How To Implement (just about) Anything: Lessons from 25 years in public education." This interview covers Tom's perspectives on the importance of and challenges associated with implementation, along with his lessons for driving and sustaining change in complex systems.

Through his work at EdScale, LLC (https://edscalellc.com/), Tom helps educators get better results through a relentless focus on implementation. Tom earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Delaware's Biden School of Public Policy and Administration. Before founding EdScale in 2016, Tom worked on systems change efforts in Baltimore City Public Schools and led consulting engagements at the U.S. Education Delivery Institute.  

Tom is the author of "How To Implement (just about) Anything: Lessons from 25 years in public education," which is available for purchase on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/How-Implement-just-about-Anything/dp/B0CKLW6C14). To complete the implementation health quiz referenced in the book and this episode, visit https://edscale.scoreapp.com/. 

This episode was recorded on January 23, 2024, for First State Insights, a podcast presented by the Institute for Public Administration (IPA). For more First State Insights episodes, visit https://soundcloud.com/first-state-insights or search for "First State Insights" wherever you listen to podcasts.

IPA is a research and public service center within the University of Delaware's Biden School of Public Policy & Administration. For more on IPA, visit https://www.bidenschool.udel.edu/ipa.

Opening and closing music: "I Dunno" by Grapes, used under Creative Commons 3.0 License.

How To Implement (just about) Anything

Paper Title
Aggregating Power: The Territorial Orders of Syria

Date
4 March 2025

Publisher 
LUGARIT + Omran Center for Strategic Studies 

Authors
Authors: Jadd Hallaj, Omar Abdulaziz Hallaj, Hassan Masri

Summary
This paper examines Syria's territorial governance, how the spatial patterns of administrative divisions evolved over the last century. The paper traces the deep patterns of centralization and manipulation of local districting as a means of consolidating centralized control rather than supporting equitable distribution of resources and enhancing development procsses. It critiques Decree 107’s failure to achieve decentralization and highlights fragmented governance models across different regions in Syria. Recommendations focus on addressing systemic imbalances, leveraging cities as hubs, and balancing rural-urban roles to foster equitable and sustainable development.

Link
https://link.lugarit.com/e1To

Aggregating Power: The Territorial Orders of Syria

العنوان 
تجميع السلطة: نظم الإدارة الترابية في سوريا

تاريخ النشر
٤ آذار ٢٠٢٥

الناشر 
لوغاريت + عمران للدراسات الاستراتيجية

المؤلفون
جاد الحلاج + عمر عبد العزيز الحلاج + حسان مصري

الخلاصة
تبحث هذه الورقة في الحوكمة الإقليمية في سوريا، وكيف تطورت الأنماط المكانية للتقسيمات الإدارية على مدى القرن الماضي. وتتتبع الورقة الأنماط العميقة للمركزية والتلاعب بالتقسيمات المحلية كوسيلة لتعزيز السيطرة المركزية بدلاً من دعم التوزيع العادل للموارد وتعزيز عمليات التنمية. وتنتقد الورقة فشل المرسوم ١٠٧ في تحقيق اللامركزية وتسلط الضوء على نماذج الحكم المجزأة عبر مناطق مختلفة في سوريا. وتركز التوصيات على معالجة الاختلالات النظامية، والاستفادة من المدن كمراكز، وموازنة الأدوار الريفية والحضرية لتعزيز التنمية العادلة والمستدامة.

الرابط
https://link.lugarit.com/e1To

تجميع السلطة: نظم الإدارة الترابية في سوريا

Paper Title:
Moving Beyond the Legacy of Centralized Power: Multilevel Governance in Syria

Date:
23 April 2025

Publishers: 
LUGARIT + Omran Center for Strategic Studies

Authors: 
Omar Abdulaziz Hallaj + Hassan Masri

Summary:
This paper argues that Syria’s authoritarianism was upheld through systemic strategies of centralization by weakening local and regional governance. It warns against reinstating this model post-conflict and calls for an inclusive approach to reintegrating the territory. Sustainable recovery, the authors contend, hinges on empowering middle and local levels with real authority and institutional capacity.

Link:
https://link.lugarit.com/Klvn

Photo:
Syrian Parliament House. Damascus, Syria. 15 February 1955.  Photo © Camera Press / Sydney Morning Herald - via Alamy.


Moving Beyond the Legacy of Centralized Power: Multilevel Governance in Syria

Paper Title:
The Perils of Omission: What Syria’s Constitutional Declaration Fails to Say

Date:
12 May 2025

Publisher: 
LUGARIT

Authors: 
Zedoun Alzoubi (AR), Nihad Alamiri (EN)

Summary:
Issued in March 2025, Syria’s Constitutional Declaration outlines a five-year roadmap but omits key democratic principles, oversight mechanisms, and implementation timelines. This commentary identifies six critical omissions that could undermine the legitimacy and success of the country’s post-conflict political transition.

Link:
https://link.lugarit.com/qtoe

Photo:
Overview of the main hall inside the Syrian Parliament.  Photo published in Engineers' Syndicate Magazine in 31 January, 1955.  Photo via AMASyria.


The Perils of Omission: What Syria’s Constitutional Declaration Fails to Say

Paper Title:
Local Administration in Transition: Towards Inclusive and Accountable Local Governance in Syria

Date:
20 May 2025

Publishers: 
SALAR International + LUGARIT

Authors: 
Zedoun Al Zoubi, Omar Abdulaziz Hallaj, Ryan Knox, Obidah Alsayed Ali, Nihad Alamiri

Summary:
Syria’s reunification hinges on adopting flexible and inclusive local governance—not a return to centralization. This policy brief shows how Decree 107, if pragmatically reinterpreted, can bridge the current fragmented mosaic of local administration models with formal government structures, enhance accountability and stability, and foster a legitimate, resilient post-conflict transition. 

Link:
https://link.lugarit.com/HeiX

Photo: 
Marota City, Damascus — once envisioned as a model for local government financing, now stands as a stark reminder of the costs of centralized planning imposed on communities. Built on expropriated land, it embodies the disconnect between state-driven visions and local realities. 24 April 2025.  Photo © Jadd Hallaj / LUGARIT.


Local Administration in Transition: Towards Inclusive and Accountable Local Governance in Syria

العنوان 
الإدارة المحلية في المرحلة الانتقالية : نحو حوكمة محلية تشاركية ومسؤولة في سوريا

تاريخ النشر
٢٠ أيار ٢٠٢٥

الناشر 
SALAR International + LUGARIT

المؤلفون
زيدون الزعبي ، عمر عبد العزيز الحلاج ، رايان نوكس ، عبيدة السيد علي

الخلاصة
يعتمد توحيد سوريا على تبني حوكمة محلية تشاركية، لا على العودة إلى المركزية. يوضح هذا الموجز كيف يُمكن للمرسوم ١٠٧، إذا أُعيد تفسيره وطُبّق عمليًا، أن يربط النماذج الحالية المُجزأة للإدارة المحلية مع هياكل الدولة، وأن يُعزز المساءلة والاستقرار وشرعية العملية الانتقالية السياسية في البلاد.

الرابط
https://link.lugarit.com/HeiX

الصورة
ماروتا سيتي، دمشق - التي كانت تُعتبر في السابق نموذجًا لتمويل الحكومات المحلية، تُمثل الآن تذكيرًا صارخًا بتكاليف التخطيط المركزي المفروض على المجتمعات المحلية. بُنيت على أراضٍ مُصادرة، وهي تُجسد الفجوة بين الرؤى الحكومية والواقع المحلي. ٢٤ أبريل ٢٠٢٥. الصورة © جاد حلاج / لوغاريت.


الإدارة المحلية في المرحلة الانتقالية : نحو حوكمة محلية تشاركية ومسؤولة في سوريا

Paper Title:
Beyond FDIs: Towards Sustainable and Socially Accountable Investment in Syria

Date:
24 June 2025

Publisher: 
LUGARIT

Author: 
Omar Abdulaziz Hallaj

Summary:
The article critiques blanket investment incentives in Syria’s recovery, urging performance-based, socially accountable policies. It advocates sector- and region-specific strategies, safeguards against elite capture, and decentralization to empower local governance. Drawing on regional lessons, it promotes investment that generates public value, reduces inequality, and supports inclusive, sustainable reconstruction.

Link:
https://link.lugarit.com/UaX5

Photo: 
Residents of Eastern Aleppo queue for bread on a harsh winter morning. In a city scarred by conflict and deprivation, such scenes reflect the urgent need for recovery strategies that serve the many, not the few.  Aleppo, Syria.  23 January 2025.  Photo © Andrea Backhaus - via ShutterStock.


Beyond FDIs: Towards Sustainable and Socially Accountable Investment in Syria

العنوان 
الاستثمارات الأجنبية لا تكفي: نحو تمويل مستدام يستجيب لاحتياجات المجتمع في سوريا

تاريخ النشر
٢٤ حزيران ٢٠٢٥

الناشر 
لوغاريت 

المؤلف
عمر عبد العزيز الحلاج 

الخلاصة
تنتقد المقالة سياسة الحوافز الاستثمارية الشاملة في سوريا بعد الصراع، وتدعو إلى سياسات قائمة على الأداء وخاضعة للمساءلة الاجتماعية. وتطرح استراتيجيات محددة بحسب القطاعات والمناطق، وآليات للحد من هيمنة النخب، وتؤكد على اللامركزية. مستفيدة من دروس إقليمية، تعزز الاستثمار الذي يخدم الصالح العام ويحد من التفاوت ويدعم إعادة إعمار شاملة ومستدامة.

الرابط 
https://link.lugarit.com/UaX5

الصورة
يصطفّ سكان شرق حلب في طابور الخبز في صباح شتوي قارس. في مدينة أنهكتها الحرب والحرمان، تعكس هذه المشاهد الحاجة الملحّة إلى استراتيجيات تعافٍ تخدم الجميع، لا القلّة. حلب، سوريا. ٢٣ كانون الثاني ٢٠٢٥. الصورة © أندريا باكهاوس - عبر شترستوك.


الاستثمارات الأجنبية لا تكفي: نحو تمويل مستدام يستجيب لاحتياجات المجتمع في سوريا

LUGARIT is a small think tank active in international development.

Information, perspectives, and analysis for public policy, management, and community and economic development in Delaware.

Presented by the Institute for Public Administration (IPA), a research and public service center in the University of Delaware's Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy & Administration.

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