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Harvard’s Growth Lab researchers diagnose South Africa’s decline and suggest tough choices to move forward

Concluding a two-year investigation, researchers at Harvard Kennedy School’s Growth Lab have issued a stark diagnosis of the “collapsing state capacity” in South Africa after decades of policy ...
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The health insurance subsidies behind the government shutdown

The U.S. government shutdown is in its third week as funding bills have failed to garner the necessary votes from both Republicans and Democrats to reopen the government. At the center of this ...
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Whose pay should be cut in economic crises? Consumers prefer firms that prioritize paying employees over CEOs - Michael Norton

October 13, 2021, Paper: "Four experiments examine the impact of a firm deciding to no longer pay salaries for executives versus employees on consumer behavior, particularly in the context of the ...
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Explainer: Understanding the SNAP program—and what cuts to these benefits may mean

Between the government shutdown and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly called Food Stamps) is undergoing significant cuts. This 60-year ...
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We write today with profound sadness to share that Setti Warren, Director of the Institute of Politics, has passed away. Setti was a beloved member of our community, and we are devastated by this ...
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How anti-incumbency and a ‘first-past-the-post’ system helped elect the Labour Party in the UK

The 2024 U.K. general election proved a watershed contest, with a stunning rejection of the Conservative government after 14 years in power. The Conservative’s share of the vote (24%) was its worst ...
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From AI to EVs, industrial policy plays a strategic role in a nation’s power and security

Economists, industry leaders, and policymakers explored the current debates over industrial policy—the strategies a government takes to stimulate economic growth through tools like subsidies, tax ...
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Harvard experts discuss “competitive authoritarianism,” and the “tactical frivolity” that No Kings protestors are deploying in response

“I would not call the United States a fully democratic regime today.” Harvard professor Steve Levitsky did not mince words in his opening remarks on the new web-based series, The Breakdown, presented ...
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Young voters shifted right in the 2024 election; the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation examined why

One of the most surprising statistics from the 2024 presidential election was the surge of support President Trump received from Gen Z voters. While these voters, born between 1997 and 2012, turned ...
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Trust in American media is at an all-time low: Political analysts Jon Favreau and Scott Jennings examine why

Two political commentators recently visited the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum at the Institute of Politics. Jon Favreau—a former speechwriter for Barack Obama and host of the podcast “Pod Save ...
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Mike Pence and John Bolton say America’s future lies with its citizens

In back-to-back John F. Kennedy Jr. Forums at the Harvard Kennedy School, the Institute of Politics (IOP) focused on the future of national security and conservatism in America with two prominent ...
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Understanding the relationship between mainland China and Taiwan

For centuries, mainland China and the island of Taiwan have had an interconnected relationship that has been both close and contentious at times. Rana Mitter, an expert on historical and contemporary ...