James Pethokoukis explains how President-elect Donald Trump’s new administration could contribute to an “Up Wing, pro-progress policy” over the next four years.

Let’s colonize the Moon. … Trump seems to have a real Baby Boomer interest in space and is now close to Elon Musk, who played a huge role in the just-completed reelection campaign. And, of course, Musk’s SpaceX appears well-positioned to eventually establish a Moon base through its Starship program and declining launch costs. Toss in the China factor, and this goal has directional momentum over the next four years.

Don’t strangle AI. The argument: This could be the ultimate invention. Just as Bill Clinton’s hands-off approach let the internet flourish, we should avoid stifling AI development with excessive rules. Heavy regulation now would be premature, potentially harmful, and impractical to enforce. Let the technology evolve while responsibly studying and monitoring its safety concerns.

Outlook: Trump’s proposed AI plan, according to The Washington Post, will center on launching military-focused “Manhattan Projects,” reducing regulations, revoking President Biden’s AI order, creating industry-led oversight agencies, and prioritizing American AI leadership over China. Also needed: A comprehensive national AI policy framework that preempts state-level regulation. …

… Reform or repeal (preferably) NEPA. Argument: 1970s-era environmental laws have become a major obstacle to progress, delaying or blocking vital infrastructure projects from clean energy (including nuclear and advanced geothermal) to space launches. It’s time to streamline or eliminate these bureaucratic barriers to build America’s future. “The cumulative burden NEPA imposes on our agencies is intolerable. We must protect the environment, but we can’t do it by paralyzing our federal agencies,” explains economist Eli Dourado.

Outlook: In 2020, the Trump administration streamlined environmental review processes under NEPA, shortening timelines and limiting the scope of reviews for federal projects. These changes were later reversed by the Biden administration. Awareness of regulatory obstacles, especially NEPA, has only grown since then, and Trump made regulatory reform a key part of this campaign agenda.