Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School. We provide students with opportunities, skills, and inspiration for careers in politics and public service.
📊 NEW TODAY: The 47th Edition of the Harvard Youth Poll finds over half of young Americans aged 18-29 intend to vote in the upcoming Presidential election, but support levels vary significantly among subgroups of likely voters.
Full results ➡️
Last week in the JFK Jr. Forum,
@GovLarryHogan
recounted his frustration at not being able to mobilize the National Guard until two and a half hours into the January 6th insurrection. Watch more on his interactions with Steny Hoyer, Chuck Schumer, and Nancy Pelosi below:
Just Announced: Join us in the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum next Wednesday, April 19, as
@JustinJPearson
and
@DavidHogg111
discuss democracy, race, and gun violence in America.
@ArFung
of
@HarvardAsh
will moderate. Register for your in-person seat below:
➡️
TOMORROW: Join us in the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum at 6:00 PM ET as
@JustinJPearson
and
@DavidHogg111
discuss democracy, race, and gun violence in America.
@ArFung
of
@HarvardAsh
will moderate. Register for your in-person seat below:
➡️
NEW TODAY: The 44th edition of the Harvard Youth Poll indicates that 40% of 18-to-29-year-olds state that they will “definitely" vote in the November 8 midterm elections, on track to match or potentially exceed the record-breaking 2018 youth turnout in a midterm election.
Join
@DavidHogg111
, president of
@Leaderswedeserv
, for a 4-part
@HarvardAsh
seminar series exploring several facets of creating successful social movements. The first topic, "Story of self, us, and now" is this Friday, 3/22.
Open to all
@Harvard
students:
"I would not stop at the universal basic income foundation, but I will say universal basic income has this effect where it helps those with the least, the most."
—
@AndrewYang
on the benefits of universal basic income and how the country can go further
"The question to me is — how can you get Congress to pass something that the majority of us are for? That sounds straightforward, but those of us watching know it's not."
—
@AndrewYang
in the virtual JFK Jr. Forum on the legislative future of universal basic income
In his April 2017 appearance in the JFK Jr. Forum, civil rights leader, Congressman and 2018
@Harvard
Commencement speaker
@repjohnlewis
shared the story of the first time he met Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
#MLKDay
#MartinLutherKingJrDay
NEW: among many findings, our latest national survey of 18- to 29- year olds shows that young Americans are significantly more likely to vote in the upcoming midterm elections compared to 2010 and 2014
Full results and data here:
Tomorrow night in the virtual JFK Jr. Forum —
Join Fall Fellow
@Chasten
Buttigieg and IOP Resident Fellow S'18
@BetsyHodges
for a conversation focused on finding your voice and path in public service.
📅 Thursday, September 17
⏰ 6pm ET
💻
One year ago,
@AMarch4OurLives
co-founder and Harvard student
@DavidHogg111
shared his idea of a program to help students learn about building a modern political campaign with IOP Interim Director
@SettiWarren
. We were excited to see that program come to life this semester.
“Here at Harvard you’ve been well trained. You must lead. You must get out there…and be a headlight, not a tail light. It’s your time, it’s your calling.” -
@repjohnlewis
#harvard18
For the very first time,
@Harvard
is integrating voter registration efforts into first-year student orientation.
Campus ID ✔️
Move In ✔️
Register to Vote ✔️
Follow along all week for highlights from our IOP student leaders. 🗳
#HarvardVotesChallenge
“The power in the people has always been greater than the people in power.”
More from
@TheCrimson
on Rep.
@AyannaPressley
and IOP Fellow
@MsPackyetti
's conversation in the JFK Jr. Forum.
For 135 years,
@Harvard
and
@Yale
have battled it out on the football field.
This year, we're battling it out at the ballot box.
Join the Harvard Yale Votes Challenge at . To register to vote, go to .
Tonight in the virtual JFK Jr. Forum —
Join Fall Fellow
@Chasten
Buttigieg and Resident Fellow S'18
@BetsyHodges
for a discussion focused on finding your voice and path in public service.
The conversation begins at 6pm ET ⤵
"What I think Donald Trump did very effectively with his mantra of "no collusion no obstruction" is that he was so relentlessly on message that he persuaded a lot of the country that there was no collusion, no obstruction, when there was both."
@AdamSchiff
Rep.
@JustinJPearson
joined us yesterday at the IOP for a roundtable with Harvard students, many of whom were from Tennessee, before taking the JFK Jr. Forum stage alongside
@DavidHogg111
and Professor
@ArFung
to discuss democracy, race, and gun violence in America.
"We thought what it would have meant to us to be young teenagers watching that moment in history. Being told growing up we were not worthy of love, not worthy of this country — to see how far we've come."
—
@Chasten
on the power of Pete Buttigieg's Iowa caucus victory
Now in the JFK Jr. Forum: a conversation with
@AndrewGillum
and
@AishaMoodMills
in the opening keynote of “Affirming Blackness—Protest, Passion and Policy,” this year’s
@BlackPolicyHKS
.
Watch live ⬇️
Meet our Spring 2020 Resident Fellows!
@TiffanyDCross
, Lord Kim Darroch, Mark Harvey,
@RohiniKos
,
@TaraSetmayer
, and Gov. Bill Walker bring diverse experiences in public service and expertise on contemporary issues and challenges in domestic and international politics.
"We're seen as un-American when in reality, we're doing the most patriotic thing that there is, which is trying to make the country we live in the best it can possibly be."
—
@MsPackyetti
in the virtual JFK Jr. Forum on the movement for Black lives
We're excited to announce the appointment of an accomplished group of Resident and Visiting Fellows for the Fall 2018 semester.
Get to know the new Fellows 📺⬇️
"I don't believe in making people feel smaller, small-minded, or guilty of a crime because they don't support my basic human rights. I introduce myself...I show my authentic self and my authentic love for my husband — refusing to hide, and refusing to be anybody else."
—
@Chasten
"Stacey Abrams started the work of changing Georgia when she was the minority leader... She started a voter protection and a voter registration organization. The premise of her campaign was that there's no such thing as a sporadic voter — we just don't talk to people."
—
@finneyk
NEW DATE: Join us in the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum this Wednesday, April 26, as
@JustinJPearson
and
@DavidHogg111
discuss democracy, race, and gun violence in America.
@ArFung
of
@HarvardAsh
will moderate. Register for your in-person seat below:
➡️
"They have every right to have a stakehold in our democracy and shape the world that they will inherit. You cannot silo a youth voice."
—Rep.
@AyannaPressley
on lowering the voting age and expanding voices in the electorate. Join the conversation ⤵️
"The IOP shaped me as it has so many, meeting its mission as a place to cultivate the spark of service among undergraduates deciding what to do with their futures."
—
@SecretaryPete
, reflecting on his time at the IOP during his 2021
@Kennedy_School
graduation address
"I want to make sure everyone is aware of where we come from and the shoulders upon which we stand. What that fight looked like, and the people who were erased from that conversation."
—
@Chasten
answering a student question on teaching LGBTQ+ history
“This country is performative in its patriotism to the fullest extent… there’s nothing that we won’t do for our fighting men and women except ****ing take care of them.” -
@jonstewart
Watch our Veterans Day conversation live in the Forum now.
🗓️ April 19
🕐 6:00 PM ET
📍 In-Person
Join
@JustinJPearson
,
@DavidHogg111
, and
@ArFung
in the Forum for a discussion on democracy, race, and gun violence in America. Harvard ID holders can register for a seat below (also livestreamed for all).
➡️
On this day in 1962, President Kennedy challenged America to go to the moon before the end of the decade. Not because it was easy, but because it was hard.
"I think we have to be careful in letting our motivation be rooted in a person. Our motivation is rooted in movements...in a real collective sense of power and self-ownership."
—
@ashleyrallison
answering
@davidhogg111
's question on keeping young voters motivated in 2024 & beyond
Congrats to our newly-elected student leadership:
President-elect: Janna Ramadan '23
VP-elect: Tabitha Escalante '23
Treasurer-elect: Stephanie Lin '24
Communications Director-elect: Amen Gashaw '24
It's a historic day – our first all Women of Color student executive board!
Youth turnout in the 2022 midterm elections is on track to match – or potentially exceed – 2018’s historic level of participation. Young college graduates and those in U.S. Senate battleground states are the most likely to vote in the 2022 midterms.
On this day in 1917, John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was born in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Take a look at a few photos from his birthday celebration in 1961 at the National Guard Armory in Washington, DC.
(Also that cake 🍰👀 )
"To be able to have all of those opportunities, to meet all of those people, to go through the good and the bad and the terrible and the muddy and the thrilling, and to come out of that feeling better about yourself and better about the country — is a gift."
—
@Chasten
"We didn't win and who cares. I'm coming out of it with a stronger marriage, a stronger sense of self, a deep belief in the future of this country and the goodness of this country."
—
@Chasten
on his favorite moments and lessons from the campaign trail
"This is why diversity in newsrooms and workplaces is important. Priorities and what people view as 'important' shift based on how you were brought up and your background."
—
@OmarJimenez
on how journalism is strengthened when reporters bring personal perspective to a story
Our Campaigns and Advocacy and Community Action Committee programs launched their first seminar of the semester this week with a session on social movements and storytelling led by special guest
@DavidHogg111
'23, founder and board member of
@AMarch4OurLives
.
"You are a light. You matter, and all of your offerings—they matter and will make a difference. So continue to be great. Go out in the world and shine your light!"
@MsLaToshaBrown
, IOP Resident Fellow F'19, shares words (and a song!) of wisdom with the Class of 2020.
#Harvard20
Explore the dynamics of launching & sustaining social movements with a 4-part seminar led by
@davidhogg111
starting Friday, 3/22. Through interactive sessions,
@Harvard
students will gain skills, strategies, & insights to spearhead impactful change. RSVP:
Starting at 4:00 PM ET: Join
@RobertaMetsola
, president of the European Parliament, and Sviatlana
@Tsihanouskaya
, the democratic opposition leader of Belarus, live in the Forum for a discussion on Europe’s struggle for relevance, unity, and value.
"I've always felt particularly moved, intrigued, and heartbroken by the conditions that lead to forced displacement and the refugee experience itself."
Ching Sullivan ('20) is spending her summer interning at UNHCR, the UN
@Refugees
Agency:
#MyIOPSummer
"It's a sense of public service that runs deep in the Kennedy family. I give the parents great credit for suggesting to their kids — you've got to believe in something bigger than yourself."
—Fredrik Logevall in the Forum reflects on the source of President Kennedy's ambition
"I am a cisgender white gay man, and I don't know everything about the lived experience about queer people in this country — so I went out there and did the work."
—
@Chasten
in the virtual JFK Jr. Forum on the importance of learning and doing the work of intersectional activism
Announcing our Spring 2019 Resident & Visiting Fellows!
We continue our 50+ year history of providing a space for students to engage in civil discourse, learn from experienced leaders, and be inspired to public service.
Meet our fellows:
"We stand today on the edge of a new frontier."
Today at the
#DemConvention
, past honorees of the New Frontier Award and the
@JFKLibrary
mark the 60th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's acceptance speech and call to action at the 1960 Democratic National Convention.
Following
@IsabelStMalo
’s election as Panama's Vice-President and her appointment as foreign minister, she became the first woman to hold both positions in the history of her country.
#Fall19Fellows
➡️
Tonight in the JFK Jr. Forum —
Rep.
@AyannaPressley
and IOP Fellow
@MsPackyetti
join in conversation to reflect on historic turnout in the 2020 election, civic engagement, and the Democratic progressive agenda.
Join the conversation at 6pm ET ⤵️
Did someone say
#OpeningDay
?
President Kennedy threw the ceremonial first pitch on opening day at Griffith Stadium in Washington, DC on April 10, 1961.
#tbt
“Hope for America is rising among our youth. Despite the state of our politics, the divisive election, and the everyday partisanship — hope is rising.”
—
@RajvirBatra_
in the Harvard Youth Poll forum.
“If we’re wise, if we have courage and resolve, and with a little bit of luck we can all make the world a better place — for real.”
—President Joe Biden during a visit to the JFK Jr. Forum
Celebrate
#InaugurationDay
by revisiting the 2014 Forum event:
IOP Director
@MarkDGearan
welcomes a big crowd to Washington, D.C. for our summer celebration of public service with
@Harvard
President Lawrence S. Bacow.
We’ve wrapped up an incredible day at the virtual National Campaign Conference! Thank you to the
@UDBidenInst
,
@JFKLibrary
Foundation, our presenters — including special guest
@PeteButtigieg
— and all our attendees for a terrific discussion on civic engagement.
The first member of Gen Z to serve in the House of Representatives
@RepMaxwellFrost
joined us in the JFK Jr. Forum last week to discuss current events and the importance of youth involvement in politics and government.
Watch the full conversation:
“Young people might have different fears than my generation or any other generation, but that doesn’t mean they’re any less valid. They need to be recognized.”
—
@dellavolpe
in the Harvard Youth Poll forum.
Secretary Ash Carter was a dear friend of the
@HarvardIOP
. We send our deepest condolences to the
@BelferCenter
and to Secretary Carter’s family and friends.
Join
@WHO
Director-General
@DrTedros
for the McNamara Lecture on the world's COVID response and how stronger global health architecture can deliver health equity.
@HarvardChanSPH
Dean Michelle Williams will moderate this virtual discussion.
Register ➡️
When all that work on your thesis pays off: on March 15, 1940, John F. Kennedy turned in his honors thesis "Appeasement at Munich." It was later published as "Why England Slept" and sold 80,000 copies.
(That's JFK signing a copy for Spencer Tracy)
#tbt
The sun is shining on Harvard Yard as we celebrate the Class of 2022 with former IOP student president
@MenatBahnasy
and our Senior Advisory Committee member Mayor Michelle Wu '07 HLS '12 (
@wutrain
). Congratulations to all of our seniors graduating this week!
"If you have it in you, if you feel like you are able to share [your story] with other people, it will save other people's lives just by offering space and telling people that they are worthy of taking up space."
—
@Chasten
on the importance of sharing your story
"I realized, 'This may have shaped me, but it does not define me.' So while it took me longer to trust other people, he did not define who I am as a lover, as a husband, or as a human being."
—
@Chasten
on his experience with sexual assault