The Washington Ideas Forum wrapped up its annual two-day symposium this afternoon, after a series of stimulating, in-depth conversations among politicians, Washington insiders, business leaders, tech innovators, and journalists about the current state of government affairs and where they think the country is headed. With a political climate as divisive as it is today, Washington is in need of “big” ideas for remedying their own constant pain of political gridlock and for rectifying the distrust many Americans have in the ability of their elected leaders to effectively govern.

In anticipation of the event, The Atlantic shared musings on what the two-day talks might inspire:

With a mixed program that includes everyone from Tea Party Republicans and loyal Obama insiders to a Fortune 500 exectuive and journalists from The Atlantic, Fox, MSNBC, and the Washington Post, it will be interesting to see which “big ideas” gain traction. Will this be a call for bipartisan cooperation or confirmation that lawmakers are hopelessly divided? Will lawmakers offer solutions to the never-ending spending standoff or will they defend the status quo? In this political environment, is any idea powerful enough to inspire renewed confidence in the leaders who run Washington?

The Washington Ideas Forum is co-hosted by The Atlantic, the Aspen Institute, and the Newseum. If you weren’t able to tune in to watch the live coverage, visit The Atlantic WIF page to view stories and catch up on the 30+ conversations.