Young Americans today are coming of age in a world that can seem to be careening into an uncertain future. Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how we relate to technology and to one another. Socialism, communism, and radical Islamism are on the march, while loud voices — and at times violence — at home and around the world are testing young people’s understanding of and confidence in our foundational principles of freedom, opportunity, and constitutional government. And on many college campuses, the case for liberty is seldom made and conservative ideas are simply unwelcome.
For the generation that will carry the principles of freedom well into the second half of the 21st century, the challenges are real and the stakes are high.
Our guest on this episode of Voices of Freedom has dedicated this chapter of his career to preparing that rising generation. Governor Scott Walker is President of Young America’s Foundation and served as the 45th Governor of Wisconsin from 2011 to 2019, leading the state through some of the most significant reforms in modern state government. Since 2021, he has led YAF’s work with students at the Reagan Ranch, the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home, and regional sites across the nation. YAF hosts more conservative campus lectures than any other organization and reaches millions more through its digital presence. Governor Walker also recently joined the board of the Bradley Impact Fund, a donor-advised fund affiliated with The Bradley Foundation.
Topics Discussed on this Episode:
Governor Walker’s early years as a pastor’s son in Delavan, Wisconsin and meeting President Reagan at Boys Nation
What Act 10 has accomplished for Wisconsin and why it needs to remain in place
Why he moved from elected office to leading Young America’s Foundation
Why President Reagan’s ideas still resonate with students born decades after his presidency
What conservative students face on campus today and what it takes to prepare them amid AI and competing ideologies
His new role on the board of the Bradley Impact Fund
What America’s 250th anniversary and Wisconsin’s nearly 180 years of statehood mean for the future — and what gives him hope