spring 2014 institute of politics newsletter

Maggie Williams to Serve as New IOP Director • Technology and Politics Conference • Culver Scholarship Careers and Internships • Alumni Running for Office • Spring Resident and Visiting Fellows • John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum Events • Spring Photos Collection • New Millennials and Politics Poll • Policy Program Collaborates with MA State Senators • IOP News Briefs • Professional Updates from IOP Alumni

Maggie Williams, White House senior advisor, Institute Senior Advisory Committee member and Spring 2005 Resident Fellow, was named incoming IOP Director in early June.

JULY 2014

Spring 2014 semester marked by fantastic John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum events with top political powerbrokers, including U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) with IOP Director Trey Grayson, who addressed a capacity crowd on April 25.

1 INSTITUTE OF POLITICS

CONNECT with the IOP Please visit us at www.iop.harvard.edu to learn more about IOP programming and to sign up for our weekly e-newsletter – sent on Fridays during the semester – featuring recent photos and information on upcoming IOP happenings.

Also, please follow us on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at usernames HarvardIOP and JFKJrForum.

As we grow closer to the midterm and presidential elections, it’s no surprise the spring of 2014 was fast-paced and electric at the IOP.

One of the most exciting aspects of the semester was the Visiting Fellowship of former Office of Personnel Management chief of staff Liz Montoya, who ran a popular four-week study group on how to navigate employment in the federal government. In addition to working directly with students, Liz helped IOP

internship and career service staff by bringing her guidance and that of her guests, which will allow us to do a better job of advising students and recent alumni about how to navigate this process.

The semester featured strengthened ties among the students involved in our National Campaign for Political and Civic Engagement, as dozens of Campaign students from other colleges and universities participated in our programming via Google Hangouts and other technology. Our late-April survey release on Millennials’ political views received enormous press atten-tion across all traditional and digital news media. The John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum was proud to convene dozens of powerful events, including hosting four past and future presidential candidates – senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Rand Paul (R-KY), former Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee – in the span of eleven days. Resident Fellows’ study groups were marked by strong across-the-board attendance by students and community members, and our four Visiting Fellows – former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd, Israeli political leader Avshalom Vilan and the aforementioned Huckabee and Montoya – were also a huge hit on campus.

As many of you know, at the end of June, I finished up my stint as Director of the Institute of Politics at Harvard and returned to my state of Kentucky to start my next great adventure – as President and CEO of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. During my three-and-a-half years at the IOP, I am proud that we have fully embraced a new digital strategy, incorporated more students into our efforts to foster youth participa-tion in politics by growing our National Campaign for Political and Civic Engagement, expanded and improved our Internships and Career Services office and better connected with our alumni to improve our programming. The proof of our success is the record number of students involved with the IOP each semester.

As you will read on the next page, longtime ally Maggie Williams is an excellent choice to lead the Institute, and I congratulate her on the appointment. As an alumnus and former IOP student leader, it has been an honor and a pleasure to serve alongside such committed students, staff and our Senior Advisory Committee to achieve the Institute’s goals. I look forward to staying involved in the future. Thanks for your interest in the IOP.

Welcome

Trey Grayson ’94

TO THE INSTITUTE OF POLITICS

INSTITUTE OF POLITICS 2

In early June, Harvard Kennedy School announced Maggie Williams, who has served in a variety of high-profile governmental, political and managerial leadership positions during more than 30 years in public service, as the next Director of the Institute of Politics to succeed Trey Grayson. Williams knows the IOP well as she has served on the Institute’s Senior Advisory Committee for the past six years and as a Spring 2005 IOP Resident Fellow.

“The IOP was created to inspire students to enter public service and politics – pursuits to which Maggie Williams has devoted most of her professional life,” said David T. Ellwood, Dean of HKS. “She has used her academic training and her decades of

New DirectorMAGGIE WILLIAMS NAMED INCOMING IOP DIRECTOR

political experience to help public and private leaders manage difficult challenges and effect change. We are excited to welcome her to Harvard Kennedy School.”

“Maggie’s political wisdom and her long record of mentoring and supporting young leaders – not only in politics but in many career fields – and the example she sets in fostering and sustaining relationships across the political spectrum make her the right leader for the IOP today,” said Ken Duberstein, Chair of the IOP Senior Advisory Committee and former chief of staff to President Ronald Reagan. “I look forward to working with her to help inspire the next generation of young Americans to answer the call to public service.”

Duberstein, along with Ellwood, HKS Academic Dean and Professor of Public Policy Iris Bohnet and Elaine L. Chao, former U.S. Secretary of Labor under President George W. Bush and IOP Senior Advisory Committee member, comprised the IOP director selection committee.

Williams served in the administration of President William J. Clinton as assistant to the president and chief-of-staff to First Lady Hillary R. Clinton, and also managed then-Senator Clinton’s 2008 presidential primary campaign in its final months.

“President Kennedy said that the future of any nation could be measured by the prospects of its youth. The Institute of Politics was created to help ensure that our country would continue to flourish, led by generations of smart and caring leaders,” said Williams. “It is an honor to be a part of the IOP community and to participate in the work of growing our nation’s leaders.”

During her distinguished career, Williams has also served as director of communications for the Children’s Defense Fund, media relations manager for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and chief of staff to Presi-dent Clinton at the Clinton Foundation. She is currently a partner in Griffin Williams Critical Point Manage-ment, an organizational and communications consulting firm she co-founded with Dr. Patrick Griffin in 2005.

Williams holds an M.A. in communication philosophy from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in political science from Trinity College in Washington, D.C., where she received an honorary doctorate in 2009.


Internet ConferenceIOP CO-HOSTS TECHNOLOGY AND POLITICS EVENT

In mid-March, IOP Director Trey Grayson co-hosted an interactive roundtable discussion in Washington, D.C. – in partnership with the Internet Association – exploring “The Midterm Election & The Digital Policy Agenda” on technology, political campaigns and legislative policy, attended by dozens of representatives from news organizations, internet companies, public opinion and strategy firms and the world of politics and public service.

The well-attended and successful event included two sessions on technol-ogy and politics: “Campaign 2014: How Technology is Transforming Elections” and “Privacy, Patents and Innovation: Congress and the Mid-terms,” a discussion moderated by Institute Senior Advisory Committee member and POLITICO executive editor Rick Berke. Numerous mem-bers of the national media attended and covered the discussions – includ-ing the Washington Post, Huffington Post and POLITICO – which you can watch on the Institute’s YouTube page at www.youtube.com/HarvardIOP. A few takeaways from the event include:

Live TV is still “King,” but losing ground to new technologies. Although 70% of Americans are still watching live television, those streaming video content on other devices – like Roku, Apple, Chrome-cast, etc. – has increased from 17% to 27% over the past two years; those getting content on smartphones (16% to 27%) and tablets (14% to 26%) similarly increased over the same time period. Younger voters are still volunteering in greater numbers than voting. IOP Polling Director John Della Volpe noted that more younger voters participated in the last two presidential election cycles than those over the age of 65, and 20% of all voters in the next cycle will be under the age of 30. However, the polarizing nature of Washington, D.C. continues to turn young people off from politics – and it would not be a shock to see more youth volunteer than the proportion who vote in the upcoming midterm elections.

Making technological innovations available to down-ballot campaigns is important, but not happening enough. Although digital technologies may be a priority for statewide and presidential races, congressional cam-paigns are far more challenged – as many of them do not have a person earmarked to focus on digital strategy. A big challenge for 2014 and 2016 congressional campaigns is being able to utilize groundbreaking technologi-cal innovations from past presidential campaigns to reach voters in races on a smaller scale. Tech policy – how these complex issues are and will be treated in Congress. The conference’s second session, moderated by Rick Berke, focused on technology policy and what legislative action Congress will and should take on privacy, security, data collection and other issues where technology is concerned. The Institute will con-tinue to explore these topics at future discussion events with the Internet Assocation in the months ahead.


the final “100 Days” of the 2008 New Hampshire primary firsthand – that he credits as a pivotal moment in his college career, reinforcing his belief that politics could indeed make a difference. As Bacon and other students traveled to New Hampshire to observe the primary process and speak to voters, he began to understand the importance of engaging and debating political issues to a healthy democracy. “We saw honest, unscripted discus-sions between the candidates and the people of New Hampshire. That experience helped get me back into the zone of being interested and involved in politics,” said Bacon.

Bacon learned which political issue-area was most important to him – national security policy – while research-ing the topic for the HPR’s “Annual Report of the USA,” a yearly look at America’s spending priorities in key is-sue areas. That project ultimately led Bacon to an internship after graduation in 2011 with the Center for a New American Security, where he “fell in love with defense budgeting, looking for ways to efficiently reform American defense in order to better resource the Pentagon, ensuring that we maintain the world’s best military for years to come.”

Bacon returned to Harvard in 2012 to work as a research assistant to Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs Director Graham Allison. His research has covered a number of topics – from the future of Afghanistan and Pakistan to the lessons learned from the Cuban Missile Crisis – yet his passion and primary research focus at the Center remains defense policy. Bacon is excited to bolster his research abilities as an incoming student at the Harvard Kennedy School in the fall as he begins a two-year Master in Public Policy (MPP) degree. “Ultimately, I want to work at the U.S. Department of Defense on ways to better budget and allocate our resources for the future of the U.S. military,” said Bacon. “I know that by studying at HKS and throwing myself into the rigorous quantitative curriculum provided by the school, I can take my skills to the next level to solve these and other national security challenges.”

In recognition of his commitment to public service, the Institute is pleased to announce Peter Bacon has been named the Institute’s 2014 John C. Culver Institute of Politics Scholarship winner in support of his work toward a MPP degree. The Culver Scholarship is a merit-based opportunity for students active as undergraduates with the Institute’s programming to receive financial support toward a graduate degree at Harvard Kennedy School (HKS). As the Institute is dedicated to inspiring students into a life of politics, public service and leadership, the scholarship furthers that mission by providing assistance to IOP alumni to enhance their educational experience at HKS.

Past recipients include Frankie Assaf ’10, Quinnie Lin ’08, Jay Lundy ’09, Meghan Haggerty ’06, Emily Niel-son ’04, Eli Rosenbaum ’05 and Siri Uotila ’10.

As a Harvard undergraduate, Peter Bacon had some of his most memora-ble experiences at the Institute of Politics organizing debates on hot-button issues through the Harvard Political Union and writing feature articles on policy for the Harvard Political Review (HPR) magazine. Bacon also enjoyed serving as a student liaison to Spring 2008 Resident Fellow Connie Morella, helping publicize her weekly study group discussions on the growing decline of bipartisanship in the U.S. House of Representa-tives and the attendant consequences on legislative progress.

But it was Bacon’s 2007 experience on the IOP’s “Campus Voices” project – an exciting opportunity for students to document and experience the

Alumni ScholarshipPETER BACON ’11 NAMED 2014 WINNERIOP CO-HOSTS TECHNOLOGY AND POLITICS EVENT


INSPIRING STUDENTS TO PUBLIC SERVICE CAREERS

VISITING FELLOW LIZ MONTOYA AIDS ICS WORK

For the first time, the ICS office collaborated with the IOP’s Fellows and Study Groups program to host Liz Montoya, a former chief of staff at the Office of Personnel Management, as a Visiting Fellow during the spring semester. During her time at the IOP, Montoya hosted a weekly study group, “Navigating Employ-ment in the Federal Service.” Each week, 50-75 students attended the sessions, which exposed them to the variety of federal opportuni-ties available and offered inside information and tangible advice. Ms. Montoya also served as a valu-able resource to other career offices across campus, and connected the ICS office with her colleagues in Washington, D.C., responsible for hiring, including at the Office of Personnel Management and the White House. Montoya helped

convene a variety of public sec-tor representatives to introduce students to their agencies and departments and conduct indi-vidual interviews. In early March, Montoya gathered Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCOs) from a variety of federal departments, including the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security, Defense and Justice as well as the Social Security Administration, who spoke to students about both political and career positions available within the federal government.

DIRECTOR’S INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

Over 1,100 applications were turned in for the Director’s Intern-ship Program, ICS’ signature internship initiative, placing undergraduates at top summer internships in politics and public service in cities across the nation and around the world. Now in its

second decade, the IOP Director’s Internship program continues to grow and thrive, expanding partnerships to include organiza-tions such as CNN-Crossfire, the National Review, the Cook Political Report, Social Finance, Precision Strategies, 270 Strategies, as well as the office of U.S. representa-tive Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-5th, R), the Department of Homeland Security and numerous other governmental placements both here and abroad. In addi-tion to hosting a Director’s Intern, these organizations also use the ICS office as a resource for hiring and participate in annual IOP career-focused programs, including Career Roundtables and Sum-mer in Washington. These further collaborations have strengthened relations with ICS partners and provided more opportunities for IOP students.

The Institute of Politics aims to inspire undergraduate students to careers in politics and public ser-vice. The networks and opportunities created through the Office of Internships and Career Services (ICS) are direct pipelines to accomplishing that mission. A record number (550 students) participat-ed in ICS programming this semester, and the program is supporting 165 Harvard undergraduates in relevant internships over the summer.

Careers & Internships


“What the IOP did was give me a sense that government and public service and

politics can be a force for good in the world…but you have to have the right values

and get into it for the right reasons,” said MA state senate candidate Eric Lesser ’04. “There is so much cynicism today in politics, and justifiably so – the system

isn’t working. What we need are more young people and those with different

perspectives and views to get involved in the process and focus on good ideas.”

Just a few other IOP student and Fellows Program alumni throwing their hats in the ring in elective office bids (noted in parentheses) include: Anthony Brown, SAC ’83 (Maryland governor), Spring 2013 Fellow Steve Kerrigan (Massachusetts lt. governor), Chris Kobach, SAC ’88 (Kansas secretary of state; re-elect), Fall 1992 Fellow Bill Nelson (U.S. senate, D-FL; re-elect), Spring 1998 Fellow Dan Schnur (California secretary of state), Spring 2003 Fellow Jeanne Shaheen (U.S. senate, D-NH; re-elect), Elise Stefanik (photo at right), SAC ’06 (U.S. house of representatives, NY-21st, R), Clarke Tucker, SAC ’03 (Arkansas house of representatives) and Jeff Yarbro, SAC ’99 (Tennessee state senate).

Aiming to Serve NUMEROUS IOP ALUMNI SEEKING PUBLIC OFFICE

Today’s Washington, D.C. is often characterized as a polarized, hyper-partisan atmosphere where politics isn’t working as well as it could be to better our nation and improve our communities. As a consequence, more and more young people are questioning whether politics can still achieve results (see the IOP’s April polling results on pages 13-14) – making the IOP’s mission to inspire youth to consider public service careers more important than ever. It is therefore encouraging to see numerous IOP alums seeking public office.

Eric Lesser (photo at left) served on the Institute’s Student Advisory Committee and graduated from Harvard College in 2007. After college, he worked on Barack Obama’s presidential campaign and later in the White House. Currently running for state senate in the First Hampden & Hampshire District in western Massachu-setts, Lesser still thinks public service is an admirable profession and credits the Institute for helping hammer that message home.

IOP Student Advisory Committee alum Juliette Kayyem ’91 (center photo) has served in numerous public policy positions in state and federal government – including recently as President Obama’s assistant secretary for intergovernmental affairs at the Department of Homeland Security. Speaking in the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum this February as a democratic candidate for governor of Massachusetts, Kayyem said she believes in the impor-tance of service now more than ever. “I believe in government’s capacity to do good,” said Kayyem. “I also believe it can always do better.”


SHIRA CENTER EDWARD DAVISPolitics editor, Roll Call; former reporter, POLITICO

Commissioner, Boston Police Department (2006-13)

An accomplished group of spring IOP Fellows kept the Harvard campus buzzing all semester long. Spring Resi-dent Fellows’ not-for-credit study groups covered a wide range of subjects appealing to students, faculty and the general public, including: gender, media and the permanent campaign; courts, judges and politics; private sector perspectives on presidential politics; Muslim youth and the post-9/11 world; and politics and policing.

Outside of their successful discussion sessions at the IOP, spring Fellows were extremely popular guest speakers at dozens of undergraduate and graduate events on campus. Fellows were valuable participants in John F. Ken-nedy Jr. Forum events, inspiring instructors in the IOP’s CIVICS program helping teach middle school students about government, critical resources for IOP special event programming and important mentors to graduate and undergraduate students looking to learn more about politics and public service.

The Institute was also pleased to host four Visiting Fellows this spring. During the semester, former Office of Personnel Management chief of staff Liz Montoya led a weekly study group session on how to navigate the federal employment process; former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd organized a weekly discussion on politics, purpose and a vision for leadership; and Israeli Farmer Federation president and former Israeli Knesset member Avshalom Vilan convened an ongoing look at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and prospects for the future. Former governor of Arkansas and FOX News Channel host Mike Huckabee also joined the Institute for a visit in mid-April, marked by an appearance in the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum and numerous meetings with student groups to discuss a variety of political issues and the state of the Republican Party. Just some of the Fellows’ popular guests appearing in weekly discussion groups or participating via Skype in-cluded: Jonathan Allen, Bloomberg News Washington bureau chief and co-author, HRC, David Boeri, senior re-porter, WBUR, Katherine Clark, U.S. representative (MA-5th, D), Kevin Cullen, columnist, Boston Globe, Alan Dershowitz, professor, Harvard Law School, Keith Ellison, U.S. representative (MN-5th, D), Ben Ginsberg, chief debate negotiator, Romney for President, Liesl Hickey, executive director, National Republican Campaign

STRONG FELLOWS GROUP CAPTIVATES CAMPUS

Spring Fellows

CONNECT with the Fellows Follow the IOP Fellows on Twitter @IOPFellows and stay up to date on Study Groups and Events


FARAH PANDITH BOB WHITE MARK WOLFSenior judge, United States District Court for Massachu-setts (2012-present); chief judge, United States District Court for Massachusetts (2006-12)

Former special representa-tive to Muslim communities, U.S. Department of State and director for Middle East Regional Initiatives, National Security Council

Chairman, Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign com-mittee (2008, 2012); founding partner of Bain Capital

Committee, Roberta Kaplan, attorney who successfully argued against the Defense of Marriage Act beforethe U.S. Supreme Court; Peter King, U.S. representative (NY-2nd, R); Thomas Menino, former mayor of Boston; Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, creator, “The 99” comic series; Dave Noble, deputy assistant to the president and deputy director of presidential personnel; Charles Ogletree, professor, Harvard Law School; Deval Patrick, governor of Massachusetts; Amie Parnes, senior white house correspondent, The Hill and co-author, HRC; Mitt Romney, former candidate for president and governor of Massachusetts (via Skype); Russ Schriefer, senior strat-egist, Romney for President; Kelly Ward, executive director, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee; Lord (Gordon) Wasserman, member, British House of Lords and former special advisor to David Cameron for police matters; Aaron Williams, former director, the Peace Corps; and Juan Zarate, former U.S. deputy national security advisor for combating terrorism.

Spring Fellows

Fellows Alumni: If you have interest in continuing to share your wisdom and expertise with eager Harvard students, there are conferences and discussion panels offered every semester on a wide range of topics that would benefit from your participation! Please do not hesitate to contact IOP Fellows Director Eric Andersen ([email protected]) for more information about staying in touch with the IOP.


POLITICS As you might expect, political discussions were front and center in the Forum this spring. IOP student and Harvard College Democrats president Daniel Ki ’15 hosted an insightful discussion with five dem-ocratic Massachusetts gubernatorial candidates in late February. April featured five well-attended political speakers and discussions: “The Tea Party and Move On: Finding Common Ground,” “Dodd-Frank Re-examined” featuring the law’s authors, and blockbuster public addresses by former governor and Spring 2014 IOP Visiting Fellow Mike Huckabee as well as U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Rand Paul (R-KY).

SECURITY – AT HOME AND ABROADEnsuring our security – on a domestic and international scale – was a focus this spring. In mid-April, the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum convened a panel on the

anniversary of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings featuring former Boston Police commissioner and Spring IOP Resident Fellow Ed Davis on security issues and lessons learned. Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs executive director for research Gary Samore moderated a March 3 panel discussion on “Preventing Nuclear Terrorism,” and Center director and HKS Douglas Dillon Professor of Government Graham Allison moderated an early April look at issues surrounding “NSA Secrecy & National Security.” April also featured Harvard College alum and White House assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism Lisa Monaco ’90 on “Countering Violent Extremism and the Power of Community.”

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENTIn coordination with the theatrical release of “The Monuments Men: Rescuing Art from the Nazis,” the

In events like this we don’t turn on each other, we turn to each other.

– Major General Scott Rice, Adjutant General of the Massachusetts National Guard, on Bostonians’ response to the 2013 Marathon bombings.

JFK Jr.SPRING SEMESTER BOASTS BLOCKBUSTER EVENTS

Forum hosted a February panel discussion with actor Matt Damon ’92 (via Skype). Later that month, the Forum took a look behind The Making of ‘Mitt’ documentary featuring former Romney for President, Inc. chairman and Spring 2014 Fel-low Bob White and film director Greg Whiteley. In early March, renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma ’76 was featured in a Mar. 6 Forum event with Center for Public Leadership co-director and HKS public service professor of public leadership Da-vid Gergen on “Cultural Citizen-ship.” Later that month, West Wing actor Bradley Whitford joined Lawrence O’Donnell, MSNBC host and former writer and execu-tive producer of the show, for a panel discussion on the making of the popular political drama. The Forum also hosted “Race, Film and Culture,” a panel discussion on the depiction of men and women of color in popular film featur-ing Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Wesley Morris.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS A spring Forum highlight was hosting Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa in early April on the economic challenges and oppor-tunities in his country. The Forum hosted two timely discussions fo-cusing on Russia and the Ukraine: “Russian Politics from Snowden to Sochi” on Feb. 6 and “Crisis in

Ukraine: How Should the U.S. and Europe Respond?” on Mar. 4. Discussions on the Middle East included a late-March address by Palestinian human rights activist Dr. Hanan Ashrawi and a conver-sation with former Mossad director Meir Dagan and former Central Intelligence Agency director David Petraeus on “Israel, Iran and the Arab Revolution.” Spring 2014 Resident Fellow Farah Pandith was featured in an Apr. 3 Forum panel on “The Syrian Crisis: Its Impact on the U.S., the Middle East and the Next Generation.” DOMESTIC POLICYHarvard Charles W. Eliot University Professor and Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business & Government Weil director Lawrence H. Summers engaged in a Feb. 13 Forum discussion on “The State of the Economy” with David Gergen, co-director of Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership. Teach for America (TFA) founder and 2004 New Frontier Award winner Wendy Kopp joined HKS Dean David Ellwood in late March to discuss the fight for educational equity. Two Forum events looked at technology and domestic policy: former MIT president Susan Hockfield delivered the 2014 Godkin Lecture in mid-March and discussed the role universi-ties will play in shaping the future

and Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt covered “Innovation and Leadership in the New Digital Age” in early May.


ForumSPRING SEMESTER BOASTS BLOCKBUSTER EVENTS


Spring HighlightsINSPIRING SPEAKERS AND EVENTS MARK STELLAR SPRING

(Row 1, L to R): IOP student Daniel Ki (far right) moderated a Feb. 25 Forum with democratic Massachusetts guberna-torial candidates; (Row 2, L to R): Harvard President Drew Gilpin Faust, IOP citizenship tutor Jacob Moscona-Skolnik ’16 (front row left) and new U.S. citizens in April; Spring 2014 Fellow Mark Wolf and his student liasons; renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma ’76 and students before his Forum appearance on Mar. 6; (Row 3, L to R): Spring 2014 Fellow Shira T. Center (far right) hosts Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee executive director Kelly Ward (left) and National Republican Congressional Committee executive director Liesl Hickey in a Mar. 27 study group; Spring 2014 Fellow Ed Davis welcomes Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick on Mar. 12; Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chafee at a Feb. 3 Director’s Dinner.


INSPIRING SPEAKERS AND EVENTS MARK STELLAR SPRING

(Row 1, L to R): former Boston mayor Tom Menino during a Mar. 5 study group as a guest of Spring 2014 Fellow Ed Davis; U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) meets with Harvard undergraduates prior to his Apr. 25 John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum appearance; (Row 2, L to R): U.S. Representative Katherine Clark (MA-5th, D) joined Spring 2014 Fellow Shira T. Center for a discussion on women and governance during a Mar. 6 study group; Spring 2014 Fellow Bob White capti-vates a capacity crowd during his popular “The ‘Wingman’ in the War Room: A Private Sector Perspective on Presidential Politics” study group discussion session; Spring 2014 Visiting Fellow Kevin Rudd explores politics, purpose and a vision for leadership with his study group audience; (Row 3, L to R): U.S. Senator and former Republican presidential candi-date John McCain (R-AZ) shakes hands with half-a-dozen Harvard undergraduates before heading to the Forum stage to join in discussion with CNN foreign affairs correspondent Jill Dougherty on Apr. 23; Spring 2014 Visiting Fellow Mike Huckabee played bass with Harvard Political Review managing editor Matt Shuham (second from left) and other undergraduates after his appearance in the Forum on Apr. 14; IOP Director Trey Grayson (far left) moderated the first of two Bipartisan Policy Center panel discussions on congressional reform on Mar. 26 at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, featuring a number of former White House chiefs of staff and members of Congress and former IOP Director Dan Glickman (seated next to Grayson).

In late April, the IOP survey team released their latest national poll on the political views of Millenni-als – America’s 18- to 29- year-olds. The poll’s results included an in-depth look at young adults’ likelihood of voting in the 2014 midterm elections and prefer-ences on legalization of marijuana, the 2016 race for president, income inequality, social media and other key issue areas. The survey team briefed interested staff from the Obama administration, as well as top reporters from ABC News (1st photo) and POLITICO (2nd photo) on the results, which were extensively covered throughout national media as well as online news websites and digital and social media channels. “The Institute’s spring poll shows 18- to 29- year-olds’ trust in public institutions at a five-year low – and their cynicism toward the political process has never been higher,” said Harvard Institute of Politics


IOP SurveyINSTITUTE’S 25th POLL RESULTS WIDELY CITED

Director Trey Grayson. “To inspire the next generation to public service – and to improve our communities – our elected officials need to move past the bitter partisanship and work together to ensure progress and restore trust in government.” Millennial Interest in Midterm Voting Lags behind 2010 Levels, as Conservatives Seem More Enthusi-astic. Less than one-in-four (23%) young Americans under the age of 30 said that they will “definitely be voting” in the fall, a sharp decrease of 11 percent-age points since November 2013 IOP polling (34%) and eight percentage points lower than seen during a similar time period prior to the 2010 midterm elections (31%: Feb. 2010). In addition, traditional Republican constituencies seem to be showing more enthusiasm than Democratic ones for participating in the upcoming midterm elections and are statistically more likely to say they will “definitely be voting.” For example, 44 percent of those who voted for Mitt Romney in 2012 said they will “definitely be voting,” a statistically significant difference compared to the 35 percent of 2012 Barack Obama voters who said

the same. Additionally, self-identified conservatives (32%) are 10 points more likely to vote than liberals (22%); men (28%) are 9 points more likely to vote than women (19%); and young Whites (27%) are more likely to vote than African Americans (19%) and Hispanics (19%).

Not Quite Half of America’s 18- to 29- Year-Olds Support Legalization of Marijuana; Significant Differences by Party, Race and Age Emerge. Despite a solid level of support for legalization of marijuana (44%: support, 34%: oppose, 22%: unsure), April IOP polling finds a number of notable differences in Millennials’ opinions on the issue exist. For example, although more Democrats support legalization (49%) than oppose (28%), the opposite can be said for Republicans (32%: support, 50%: oppose). Younger Millennials ages 18- to- 24- years-old are less sure about legalization (38%: support, 39%: oppose, 22%: unsure) than 25- to 29- year-olds, who support legali-zation by a margin of 50 percent to 28 percent (21%: unsure). Whites support legalization 49 percent to 32 percent, while African Americans (38% support,

36% oppose) and Hispanics (37% support, 37% oppose) are close to even. When asked about legalization of marijuana for medical purposes, overall two-thirds (66%) would support with 14 percent saying they would oppose (19%: unsure).

Trust in Public Institutions Slides Across the Board; Cynicism about Elected Officials and Efficacy of Politics Increases. Millennials’ level of trust in most American institutions tested in IOP polling continues to decline, even below historically low numbers seen last spring. Over the past year, trust in: the President has decreased from 39 to 32 percent; the U.S. military has decreased from 54 to 47 percent (the first time below a majority); and the Supreme


IOP SurveyINSTITUTE’S 25th POLL RESULTS WIDELY CITED

Court has dipped from 40 to 36 percent. In addition to a consistent and across-the-board drop in trust levels, IOP polling has also noted a similar pattern on issues relating to the efficacy of the political process more gener-ally. Since 2010, the Institute has observed a consistent six percentage point increase in the proportion agreeing with a number of statements on this topic, including: “elected officials seem to be motivated by selfish reasons” (62%: 2014; 56%: 2010) and “political involvement rarely has any tangible results” (29%: 2014; 23%: 2010). IOP polling has also tracked a seven-point increase in the number of Millennials agreeing with the statement: “elected officials don’t seem to have the same priorities I have” (58%: 2014; 51%: 2010).

Majority of Young Americans Believe Income Gap Is a Major Problem, Parties Divided on Root Cause. April IOP polling found sixty-four percent (64%) of Millennials overall and a solid majority of young Demo-crats and Republicans believe that the gap between “the rich and everyone else in America” is greater today than when they were born. A majority (52%) said they consider this gap to be a major problem, while an additional 20 percent consider the issue to be a minor problem (13%: “not a problem”; 14%: “unsure”). However, an example of what appears to be a fundamental difference between young Democrats and Republicans is the way each thinks about the potential root causes of income disparity. For example, forty-four percent (44%) of Democrats believe that the gap in income is more the “result of factors outside one’s control” compared to 29 percent of Republicans who believe the same. 47 percent of Republicans believe that the gap is more the “result of certain people working hard and making smart choices” compared to just 29 percent of Democrats. While a plurality (44%) of Democrats seem willing to pin most of the political responsibility for the income gap on the Republican Party, only 16 percent of Republicans blame Democrats – and the poll also finds Republicans (44%) far more likely to shoulder some responsibility and “blame both parties equally.”

Political Party Playing a Role in Social Networking Preferences. Google+ (52%: Dem., 36%: Rep.), Twitter (46%: Dem., 38%: Rep.) and Tumblr (18%: Dem., 7%: Rep.) are social networking platforms preferred by young Democrats, while Pinterest (32%: Dem., 40%: Rep.) is preferred by young Republicans. Facebook (87%: Dem., 87%: Rep.) and Snapchat (24%: Dem., 23%: Rep.) defy political differences.

Complete results are available – along with past surveys – online at www.iop.harvard.edu/survey.

This spring, the undergraduate Policy Program refocused its efforts on researching and creating policy proposals for the Massachusetts state legislature, marking the fourth year of collaboration between the IOP and the State House. The initiative provides unique opportunities for students to assist with real policy research and receive commissioned topics from the Massachusetts state legislature. This semester, a record number of groups focused on a wide range of topics, including:

• Drug rehabilitation treatment options • Early education • Economic implications of climate change

Each group’s work culminated in a presentation of student findings and recommendations at the State House, in most cases to the Senator or committee interested in exploring an issue. Students focused on Massachusetts drug treatment options – a topic requested by State Senators Flanagan and Keenan – discussed their conclusions in the State House’s historic reading room. Many members of the Senate’s Special Substance Abuse committee, including HKS graduate and State Senator Linda Dorcena Forry, attended the policy discussion and were ap-preciative and impressed with the students’ work (see photos above).

Students were very enthusiastic about their State House experience and felt like they were playing a role in shap-ing Massachusetts public policy. They reported positive interactions with Senate staff and were left with a feeling of satisfaction with their written products, which are available online (iop.harvard.edu/policygroups). Rising Harvard junior Michael Richard ’17, a member of the group assessing the economic implications of climate change for State Senator Marc Pacheco, described his work as “one of the greatest experiences of the semester,” leaving him “excited to continue his work with the IOP and the Massachusetts state government.”

COLLABORATION WITH NATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR POLITICAL AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENTIn addition to the State House policy groups, the policy program worked closely with members of the Institute’s National Campaign for Political and Civic Engagement – a consortium of twenty-five colleges and universi-ties aiming to foster more politically and civically engaged campuses – to investigate barriers to voting. These students worked together in a nationwide effort to produce a report on voting access across college campuses and best practices to increase student voting access. Students from the National Campaign consortium schools helped research and contribute data on the youth voting experience in their local campus communities.


Policy GroupsSTUDENT RESEARCHERS ASSIST MASSACHUSETTS STATE HOUSE

• Identity theft• Juvenile justice• Tax policy


News BriefsCULVER AWARD; “ARUSA”; CITIZENSHIP TUTORING; CIVICS

JOHN C. CULVER AWARD FOR SERVICE AND POLITICSThe Institute and Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA) “John Culver Award for Service and Politics” was created in 2010 to honor the outstanding achievements of Institute Senior Advisory Committee chairman emeritus and former U.S. Senator John Culver (D-IA). In the spirit of Senator Culver, the IOP & PBHA John Culver Award is given annually at the end of the academic year to one graduating senior of Harvard College who has demonstrated a strong commitment to both direct service and political engagement during their time at Harvard. Announced during PBHA’s Annual Public Service Celebration in early May, the 2014 winner of the IOP & PBHA’s John Culver Award is Simon Thompson ’14 senior staff writer and former editor of the Harvard Political Review who for the past three years has served as finance director for the Harvard Square Homeless Shel-ter, the only student-run shelter in the nation. Thompson is now working at a family philanthropic organization in Cambridge, MA, focusing on supporting efforts to increase civic engagment.

STUDENTS RELEASE NEW “ARUSA” REPORT ON U.S. FINANCES In mid-April, student writers, editors and designers for the Institute’s Harvard Political Review – a top under-graduate journal on politics and public policy – released the FY 2013 Annual Report of the USA (ARUSA), a research tool offering an examination of the federal budget and American spending policy. Published in partner-ship with the nonprofit American Education Foundation (AEF), the report provides straightforward and non-partisan analysis of major spending areas and the tough decisions facing policymakers. A video highlighting the report was viewed over 1,600 times within 24 hours of release, and was covered by the Drudge Report, Fox News, National Journal, the Washington Examiner, Political Wire, and the Harvard Crimson. Highlights of the report are available on the Institute’s website.

CITIZENSHIP TUTORINGOver fifty IOP undergraduates participated this year in the Citizenship Tutoring Program, a joint project be-tween the Institute of Politics and Harvard’s Bridge to Learning and Literacy facilitating the pairing of Harvard undergraduates with Harvard employees preparing for the U.S. citizenship exam. In an April dinner celebra-tion, the Institute proudly congratulated fifteen Harvard employees who became citizens this year – attended by Harvard President Drew Faust, who paid tribute to the new citizens and their families.

CIVICSThe IOP’s CIVICS Program places motivated undergraduates in classrooms throughout the Boston area, teaching civics and government classes to inspire students to take an active role in their communities and grow into participation in our democracy. In the past year, the Institute was pleased to increase the number of schools from twenty to twenty-five, allowing nearly fifty undergraduates to teach Civics in Boston and Cambridge 5th and 7th grade classrooms. Student chairs also completed production of a new workbook created for each classroom student to keep and use throughout the semester, further standardizing the program and helping to ensure success.

Sam Adams (SAC 2014) is writing for Bloomberg News in New York City.

Krister Anderson (SAC 2007) is a senior associate at Johns Hopkins Medicine International in Baltimore, MD.

Jimmy Biblarz (SAC 2014) is beginning work at the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation as a public engagement coordinator.

Dave Bonfili (SAC 1996) is now the managing director and chief operating officer for BlackRock Alternative Investors at BlackRock in New York City. Sylvia Mathews Burwell (Spring 2001 Visiting Fellow) has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to lead the U.S. Depart-ment of Health and Human Services.

Peter Buttigieg (SAC 2004), mayor of South Bend, IN, has been deployed as a U.S. naval reservist to Afghanistan to serve as an intelligence officer.

Elizabeth Caputo (SAC 1994) has been elected chairman of Manhattan Community Board 7 representing the Upper West Side. Andrei Cherny (SAC 1997) is now CEO and co-founder at Aspiration, a new trust-based investment community.

Chris Corcoran (SAC 2007) is now a senior advisor to Lexing-ton, KY, mayor Jim Gray.

Mo Cowan (Fall 2013 Fellow) is now a senior vice president and chief operating officer at ML Strategies in Boston.

Caleb Galoozis (SAC 2014) is joining Bain & Co. in Chicago, IL, as an associate consultant.

Harleen Gambhir (SAC 2014) will be attending Oxford Univer-sity to complete an MSc in the Social Science of the Internet.

Medha Gargeya (SAC 2014) is joining Google in Palo Alto, CA, to serve as a legal assistant. Ross Garon (SAC 1993) is now managing director of Cubist Systematic Strategies, LLC in New York City.


IOP on the MovePROFESSIONAL UPDATES ON IOP ALUMNI

Brian Goldsmith (SAC 2005) has co-founded Junction, an online investment platform focused on the film industry.

Taylor Lane (SAC 2011) will be attending Harvard Law School in the fall. Paul Leroux (SAC 2014) is joining the U.S. Conference of Mayors as program director for the U.S. Manufacturing Fund.

Ken Liu (SAC 2014) will be joining PwC in New York City as a management consultant.

Karen Gordon Mills (Fall 2013 Fellow) has been elected to the Harvard Corporation.

Linda Moore (Fall 2011 Fellow) is now serving as the president and CEO of TechNet, a high-tech industry trade group.

Dan Nelson (SAC 1994) is now a partner with Morgan Lewis in the firm’s Boston tax practice. Aneesh Raman (SAC 2001) has joined new media company Ozy as a senior editor in Washing-ton, D.C.

Jason Sauer (SAC 2002) is now the senior director of busi-ness development at Churchill Downs.

Andrew Seo (SAC 2014) is joining Bain & Co. in New York City.

Michael Shayan (SAC 2014) is joining Google in Mountain View, CA, to serve as an associate account manager.

Hilda L. Solis (Senior Advisory Committee and Fall 2013 Visiting Fellow) has won election to an open seat on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

ImeIme Umana (SAC 2014) will begin pursuit of a joint degree at Harvard Law School and Ken-nedy School this fall as a Sheila C. Johnson Leadership Fellow.

Katie Walsh (SAC 2014) is now serving as an account executive with Cambridge Global Advisors, a policy and communica-tions consulting firm with a focus on cyber security.

Tori Wenger (SAC 2014) will be serving as a communica-tions associate for the Advance-ment Project, a multi-racial civil rights organization based in Washington, D.C.

Howard Zucker (Spring 2009 Fellow) is serving as New York State’s first deputy commissioner of health.


Institute of Politics Staff Director

Trey GraysonExecutive DirectorCatherine McLaughlinDirector of the Fellows & Study Groups ProgramEric AndersenJohn F. Kennedy Jr. Forum AssistantMeredith Blake Staff AssistantKerri CollinsWebsite Communications CoordinatorKatherine Delaney

Director of PollingJohn Della VolpeJohn F. Kennedy Jr. Forum DirectorCarrie DevineDirector of Conferences & Special ProjectsChristian FlynnDirector of Internships and Career ServicesAmy HowellInternships and Career Services Assistant Casey O’NeillJohn F. Kennedy Jr. Forum CoordinatorCathey ParkDirector of CommunicationsEsten PerezInternships and Career Services CoordinatorSadie PolenDigital Communications StrategistKellie RyanExecutive Assistant to the DirectorJulie SchroederDirector of National Youth EngagementLaura SimolarisFellows and Study Groups Staff AssistantAlysha TierneyDirector of FinanceTheresa Verbic Email any member of the IOP at [email protected] PHOTO CREDITS: Jay Connor: page 9 (2)Tom Fitzsimmons: cover page (large photo)Sonnie Mason: cover (inset)Martha Stewart: cover page (2), page 2, page 5 (2), page 7, page 8, page 9 (1,3), page 10 (1,2,4), page 11 (6,7), page 12 (1,2,3), page 17 (1,2), page 18 (1-5)Kristyn Ulanday: page 10 (3), page 11 (1), page 12 (6)

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spring 2014 institute of politics newsletter

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