Report of the 2025 State of the Union Summit
The Union faces trying times, beset by a widespread sense that the country is heading in the wrong direction, growing internal divisions, and a pervasive feeling among its people that the nation’s institutions are not working to address their concerns.
To begin developing solutions to these problems, the State of the Union Summit was convened during the September 2025 U.N. General Assembly High Level Week.
The Summit was held in the historic Fraunces Tavern, a site that played host to a pivotal moment in the story of this nation’s origins: upon victory in America’s war for independence against the mighty British Empire, General George Washington convened his officers in a dining room at the venue to deliver his farewell address.
The setting for our Summit therefore served as reminder that, although the nation may face difficult challenges, its very founding was the result of overcoming odds which, to many, would have seemed impossible.
The region of New York City which is home to the Tavern - Lower Manhattan - is also one of the most historic in the nation. Just a short walk away from the Tavern is Federal Hall, site of Washington’s inauguration speech upon assuming the Presidency. Diagonal to Federal Hall, is the New York Stock Exchange, perhaps the most recognizable symbol of American economic and financial might.
The area, then, is a fitting location for a conversation about the economic, financial, political, and legal challenges the nation is facing today.
Over several hours, Summit participants discussed a broad range of multi-faceted issues.
Of particular note was the lengthy dialogue on the troubled state of our youth. The topic arouse organically at the very start of our conversation and was one of the most impassioned parts of the discourse. On this topic, the consensus was unanimous: America’s young people are struggling with high rates of anxiety, diminished attention spans, and increased social inhibition. The implications of artificial intelligence on education were also a topic of extended discussion.
On a related note, concerning demographic trends were identified as a potential future risk to the country. Declining fertility rates and the manifold societal implications of an aging population were noted by a majority of contributors as a cause for present-day concern. The demographic crises of Japan and South Korea were noted as alarming case studies.
Declining institutional integrity and declining public trust in American institutions - including every branch of the U.S. federal government, the media, and big business - were identified as threats to national stability.
Other topics which were discussed and which will serve as topics of sustained attention moving forward are environmental challenges, the U.S. federal deficit and debt, the role of the U.S. dollar as the global reserve currency, and the growing threats the nation faces in cyberspace.
In the face of these multiplex challenges, our mission statement, therefore, is this: to bring the efforts and industriousness of the nation’s leading thinkers to bear on these issues. To facilitate this, the State of the Union Summit will become an annual event.
Furthermore, we will convene several times throughout the year for gatherings focused on proposing solutions to specific problems.
In doing so, we intend to galvanize a concerted national effort to address the country’s most pressing issues.
Aiden Singh, Founder, State of the Union Summit
The Union faces trying times, beset by a widespread sense that the country is heading in the wrong direction, growing internal divisions, and a pervasive feeling among its people that the nation’s institutions are not working to address their concerns.
To begin developing solutions to these problems, the State of the Union Summit was convened during the September 2025 U.N. General Assembly High Level Week.
The Summit was held in the historic Fraunces Tavern, a site that played host to a pivotal moment in the story of this nation’s origins: upon victory in America’s war for independence against the mighty British Empire, General George Washington convened his officers in a dining room at the venue to deliver his farewell address.
The setting for our Summit therefore served as reminder that, although the nation may face difficult challenges, its very founding was the result of overcoming odds which, to many, would have seemed impossible.
The region of New York City which is home to the Tavern - Lower Manhattan - is also one of the most historic in the nation. Just a short walk away from the Tavern is Federal Hall, site of Washington’s inauguration speech upon assuming the Presidency. Diagonal to Federal Hall, is the New York Stock Exchange, perhaps the most recognizable symbol of American economic and financial might.
The area, then, is a fitting location for a conversation about the economic, financial, political, and legal challenges the nation is facing today.
Over several hours, Summit participants discussed a broad range of multi-faceted issues.
Of particular note was the lengthy dialogue on the troubled state of our youth. The topic arouse organically at the very start of our conversation and was one of the most impassioned parts of the discourse. On this topic, the consensus was unanimous: America’s young people are struggling with high rates of anxiety, diminished attention spans, and increased social inhibition. The implications of artificial intelligence on education were also a topic of extended discussion.
On a related note, concerning demographic trends were identified as a potential future risk to the country. Declining fertility rates and the manifold societal implications of an aging population were noted by a majority of contributors as a cause for present-day concern. The demographic crises of Japan and South Korea were noted as alarming case studies.
Declining institutional integrity and declining public trust in American institutions - including every branch of the U.S. federal government, the media, and big business - were identified as threats to national stability.
Other topics which were discussed and which will serve as topics of sustained attention moving forward are environmental challenges, the U.S. federal deficit and debt, the role of the U.S. dollar as the global reserve currency, and the growing threats the nation faces in cyberspace.
In the face of these multiplex challenges, our mission statement, therefore, is this: to bring the efforts and industriousness of the nation’s leading thinkers to bear on these issues.
To facilitate this, the State of the Union Summit will become an annual event.
Furthermore, we will convene several times throughout the year for gatherings focused on proposing solutions to specific problems.
In doing so, we intend to galvanize a concerted national effort to address the country’s most pressing issues.
Aiden Singh
Founder, State of the Union Summit
