Harvard Institute of Politics
Encyclopedia
Harvard Institute of Politics (IOP) was created to serve as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy
and inspire Harvard students into careers in politics and public service, much as President Kennedy was inspired during his days as a student at Harvard. The IOP also brings together the academic world with the world of politics and public affairs. All of this activity occurs on a non-partisan basis with the sole aim of promoting public service.
Following President Kennedy's death in 1963, the Kennedy Library Corporation raised more than $20 million for both the construction of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, and for the creation and endowment of an institute at Harvard for the study of politics and public affairs. More than 30 million people from around the world, including school children, contributed to the fund. In 1966, the Kennedy Library Corporation presented Harvard University with an endowment for the creation of the Institute of Politics.
On January 31, 2011, former Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson
became the IOP director with previous interim director John C. Culver assuming the title of director emeretus. The IOP also has a full-time staff, an advisory committee of Harvard students, and an advisory board including Caroline Kennedy
, former US Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
, former Senator Chuck Hagel
(R-NE), former Senator John Culver (D-IA) and Congressman William Delahunt (D-MA), former White House Chief of Staff Kenneth Duberstein
, former congressman Phil Sharp (D-IN), PBS correspondent Gwen Ifill
, New York Times executive Rick Berke, and former advisor to President Kennedy Milton Gwirtzman.
Among the programs offered by the IOP include internships, prominent and diverse Forum speakers, the Harvard Political Review
, study groups led by visiting and resident Fellows, annual public opinion surveys focused on America's youth, and conferences intended to provide opportunities for interaction with the people who shape politics and public policy. The IOP does not offer formal courses or degree-granting programs; instead, it provides avenues for practical experience and encourages students to examine critically and think creatively about politics and public issues.
In 2003, the IOP launched the National Campaign for Political and Civic Engagement, working collaboratively with other schools and organizations across the country to engage young people. The IOP also conducts research and surveys into the political views of America's young voters. In addition, the Institute offers conferences for new members of Congress and new mayors, and, after each Presidential election, brings together top campaign officials to analyze the race.
The Institute of Politics is housed within Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government
, and is affiliated with the Kennedy Presidential Library. The three institutions work closely together.
Students are offered wide-ranging opportunities, including internships, prominent and diverse Forum speakers, study groups led by visiting and resident Fellows, and conferences intended to provide opportunities for interaction with the people who shape politics and public policy. The IOP does not offer formal courses or degree-granting programs; instead, it provides avenues for practical experience and encourages students to examine critically and think creatively about politics and public issues.
, the Forum regularly hosts heads of state; leaders in politics, government, business, labor and the media; academics; community organizers; and artists. In addition to speeches, debates and panel discussions on pressing issues, the Forum has sponsored television and radio programs, film screenings, and theatrical productions.
Since its founding in 1978, the Forum has hosted more than one-thousand events, seen by live audiences totaling more than 650,000 people and millions more via cable television, teleconferencing and the Internet.
The current director of the JFK Jr. Forum is Noelia Rodriguez. The current Chairman of the student committee is Ibrahim Akhtar Khan.
The Harvard Political Review
The IOP is also home to and publishes the Harvard Political Review
(HPR). The HPR is a quarterly, non-partisan journal of political affairs, written, edited, and managed entirely by Harvard College undergraduates.
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
and inspire Harvard students into careers in politics and public service, much as President Kennedy was inspired during his days as a student at Harvard. The IOP also brings together the academic world with the world of politics and public affairs. All of this activity occurs on a non-partisan basis with the sole aim of promoting public service.
Following President Kennedy's death in 1963, the Kennedy Library Corporation raised more than $20 million for both the construction of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, and for the creation and endowment of an institute at Harvard for the study of politics and public affairs. More than 30 million people from around the world, including school children, contributed to the fund. In 1966, the Kennedy Library Corporation presented Harvard University with an endowment for the creation of the Institute of Politics.
On January 31, 2011, former Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson
Trey Grayson
Charles Merwin "Trey" Grayson III is the director of the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School, a former Secretary of State of Kentucky and a candidate in the 2010 GOP primary to replace Jim Bunning, losing to Rand Paul.-Early years and career:A product of the Kenton County public school...
became the IOP director with previous interim director John C. Culver assuming the title of director emeretus. The IOP also has a full-time staff, an advisory committee of Harvard students, and an advisory board including Caroline Kennedy
Caroline Kennedy
Caroline Bouvier Kennedy is an American author and attorney. She is a member of the influential Kennedy family and the only surviving child of U.S. President John F...
, former US Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
Elaine Chao
Elaine Lan Chao served as the 24th United States Secretary of Labor in the Cabinet of President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009. She was the first Asian Pacific American woman and first Chinese American to be appointed to a President's cabinet in American history. Chao was the only cabinet...
, former Senator Chuck Hagel
Chuck Hagel
Charles Timothy "Chuck" Hagel is a former United States Senator from Nebraska. A member of the Republican Party, he was first elected in 1996 and was reelected in 2002...
(R-NE), former Senator John Culver (D-IA) and Congressman William Delahunt (D-MA), former White House Chief of Staff Kenneth Duberstein
Kenneth Duberstein
Kenneth M. Duberstein served as U.S. President Ronald Reagan's White House Chief of Staff from 1988 to 1989.A native of Brooklyn, New York, he graduated from Franklin and Marshall College and American University . He received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Franklin and Marshall in 1989...
, former congressman Phil Sharp (D-IN), PBS correspondent Gwen Ifill
Gwen Ifill
Gwendolyn L. "Gwen" Ifill is an American journalist, television newscaster and author. She is the managing editor and moderator of Washington Week and a senior correspondent for the PBS NewsHour, both of which air on PBS. She is a political analyst, and moderated the 2004 and 2008 Vice...
, New York Times executive Rick Berke, and former advisor to President Kennedy Milton Gwirtzman.
Among the programs offered by the IOP include internships, prominent and diverse Forum speakers, the Harvard Political Review
Harvard Political Review
The Harvard Political Review is a quarterly, nonpartisan American magazine and website on politics and public policy founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1969 at Harvard University. It is published by the Harvard Institute of Politics, an undergraduate student organization...
, study groups led by visiting and resident Fellows, annual public opinion surveys focused on America's youth, and conferences intended to provide opportunities for interaction with the people who shape politics and public policy. The IOP does not offer formal courses or degree-granting programs; instead, it provides avenues for practical experience and encourages students to examine critically and think creatively about politics and public issues.
In 2003, the IOP launched the National Campaign for Political and Civic Engagement, working collaboratively with other schools and organizations across the country to engage young people. The IOP also conducts research and surveys into the political views of America's young voters. In addition, the Institute offers conferences for new members of Congress and new mayors, and, after each Presidential election, brings together top campaign officials to analyze the race.
The Institute of Politics is housed within Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
, and is affiliated with the Kennedy Presidential Library. The three institutions work closely together.
Mission
The Institute of Politics' mission is to unite and engage students, particularly undergraduates, with academics, politicians, activists, and policymakers on a non-partisan basis and to stimulate and nurture their interest in public service and leadership. The Institute strives to promote greater understanding and cooperation between the academic world and the world of politics and public affairs.Students are offered wide-ranging opportunities, including internships, prominent and diverse Forum speakers, study groups led by visiting and resident Fellows, and conferences intended to provide opportunities for interaction with the people who shape politics and public policy. The IOP does not offer formal courses or degree-granting programs; instead, it provides avenues for practical experience and encourages students to examine critically and think creatively about politics and public issues.
John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum
The John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum is one of the world's premier arenas for political speech, discussion and debate. Located at the heart of the John F. Kennedy School of GovernmentJohn F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
, the Forum regularly hosts heads of state; leaders in politics, government, business, labor and the media; academics; community organizers; and artists. In addition to speeches, debates and panel discussions on pressing issues, the Forum has sponsored television and radio programs, film screenings, and theatrical productions.
Since its founding in 1978, the Forum has hosted more than one-thousand events, seen by live audiences totaling more than 650,000 people and millions more via cable television, teleconferencing and the Internet.
The current director of the JFK Jr. Forum is Noelia Rodriguez. The current Chairman of the student committee is Ibrahim Akhtar Khan.
Prominent speakers at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum
- Christiane AmanpourChristiane AmanpourChristiane Amanpour, CBE is anchor of ABC News's This Week and formerly chief international correspondent at CNN, where she worked for 27 years. She is a Board Member at the IWMF .-Early years:...
, CNN Correspondent - Kofi AnnanKofi AnnanKofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
, United Nations Secretary General - Sandy BergerSandy BergerSamuel Richard "Sandy" Berger was United States National Security Advisor, under President Bill Clinton from 1997 to 2001. In his position, he helped to formulate the foreign policy of the Clinton Administration...
, National Security Advisor to the President (1997-2001) - Rosalynn CarterRosalynn CarterEleanor Rosalynn Carter is the wife of the former President of the United States Jimmy Carter and in that capacity served as the First Lady of the United States from 1977 to 1981. As First Lady and after, she has been a leading advocate for numerous causes, perhaps most prominently for mental...
, First Lady of the United States (1977-1981) - Hillary Clinton, U.S. Senator (D-NY)
- Angela DavisAngela DavisAngela Davis is an American political activist, scholar, and author. Davis was most politically active during the late 1960s through the 1970s and was associated with the Communist Party USA, the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Panther Party...
, Civil Rights Activist and Professor - Maria EchavesteMaria EchavesteMaria Echaveste , is a former U.S. presidential advisor to Bill Clinton and White House Deputy Chief of Staff under the second Clinton administration. She is one of the highest-ranking Latinas to have served in a presidential administration...
, White House Deputy Chief of Staff (1998-2001) - Bill EmmottBill EmmottBill Emmott is an English journalist.Emmott was educated at Latymer Upper School in London and Magdalen College, Oxford, where he attained a First Class Degree in PPE . After graduation, he worked for The Economist newspaper in Brussels, Tokyo and London, becoming editor in March 1993. He...
, Editor-in-Chief, The Economist - John EnglerJohn EnglerJohn Mathias Engler is an American politician and a member of the Republican Party. He served as the 46th Governor of Michigan from 1991 to 2003....
, Governor of Michigan (1991 – 2003) - Harold Ford, United States Congressman from Tennessee
- Ashraf GhaniAshraf GhaniDr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai is a prominent politician in Afghanistan and the former chancellor of Kabul University. He is also the chairman of the Institute for State Effectiveness, an organization set up in 2005 to promote the ability of states to serve their citizens. Before returning to...
, Finance Minister, Afghanistan - Jesse Jackson, Jr.Jesse Jackson, Jr.Jesse Louis Jackson, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since the special election in 1995. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
, Member, U.S. House of Representatives (D-IL) - Edward KennedyTed KennedyEdward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
, U.S. Senator (D-MA) - Seymour HershSeymour HershSeymour Myron Hersh is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and author based in Washington, D.C. He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker magazine on military and security matters...
, Investigative Reporter - Arianna HuffingtonArianna HuffingtonArianna Huffington is a Greek American author and syndicated columnist. She is best known as co-founder of the news website The Huffington Post. A popular conservative commentator in the mid-1990s, she adopted more liberal political beliefs in the late 1990s...
, Syndicated Columnist and Author - Patricia IrelandPatricia IrelandPatricia Ireland is a U.S. administrator and feminist. She served as president of the National Organization for Women, from 1991 to 2001 and published an autobiography, What Women Want, in 1996....
, President, National Organization for Wome - Ban Ki-moonBan Ki-moonBan Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
, United Nations Secretary General - Kanan MakiyaKanan MakiyaKanan Makiya is an Iraqi academic, who gained British nationality in 1982. He is the Sylvia K. Hassenfeld Professor of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at Brandeis University...
, Iraqi Dissident; White House Advisor on Democracy in Iraq - Rosario MarinRosario MarinRosario Marin , was the 41st Treasurer of the United States from August 16, 2001 to June 30, 2003 serving under President George W. Bush. She is the first person to assume the post since William Clark who was not born a United States citizen . She is the only U...
, Treasurer of the United States - Martin O'MalleyMartin O'MalleyMartin Joseph O'Malley is an American Democratic politician who is currently serving as the 61st Governor of Maryland. Previously, he served as the mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007. He is currently the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association.-Early life, education and career:O'Malley...
, Governor of Maryland; Mayor of Baltimore (1999 - 2007) - Bill O'ReillyBill O'Reilly (political commentator)William James "Bill" O'Reilly, Jr. is an American television host, author, syndicated columnist and political commentator. He is the host of the political commentary program The O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel, which is the most watched cable news television program on American television...
, Anchor and Host, The O'Reilly Factor - Rod PaigeRod PaigeRoderick Raynor "Rod" Paige served as the 7th United States Secretary of Education from 2001 to 2005. Paige, who grew up in Mississippi, built a career on a belief that education equalizes opportunity, moving from classroom teacher to college dean and school superintendent to be the first African...
, Secretary, U.S. Department of Education - Charles Rangel, Member, U.S. House of Representatives (D-NY)
- Fidel Ramos, President of the Philippines (1992-1998)
- David RockefellerDavid RockefellerDavid Rockefeller, Sr. is the current patriarch of the Rockefeller family. He is the youngest and only surviving child of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, and the only surviving grandchild of oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil. His five siblings were...
, Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Chase Manhattan Bank - Robert RubinRobert RubinRobert Edward Rubin served as the 70th United States Secretary of the Treasury during both the first and second Clinton administrations. Before his government service, he spent 26 years at Goldman Sachs eventually serving as a member of the Board, and Co-Chairman from 1990-1992...
, Former Secretary of the Treasury (1993-1999) - George RyanGeorge RyanGeorge Homer Ryan, Sr. was the 39th Governor of the U.S. state of Illinois from 1999 until 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. Ryan became nationally known when in 2000 he imposed a moratorium on executions and "raised the national debate on capital punishment"...
, Governor of Illinois (1999-2003) (R) - Jeanne ShaheenJeanne ShaheenJeanne Shaheen is an American politician, a member of the Democratic Party, and the Senior United States Senator from New Hampshire. The first woman in U.S. history to be elected as both a Governor and U.S. Senator, she was the first woman to be elected Governor of New Hampshire, serving from...
, Governor of New Hampshire (1997-2003); IOP Fellow, Spring 2003 - Gene SperlingGene SperlingGene B. Sperling is an American lawyer and political figure, currently serving as a Counselor to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. He is also on the staff of the Council on Foreign Relations, where he serves as Senior Fellow for Economic Policy and Director of the Center on Universal Education. He...
, White House National Economic Advisor (1996-2001) - Governor Jane Swift, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
- Ted TurnerTed TurnerRobert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television...
, Vice Chairman and Senior Advisor, AOL Time Warner; Founder, CNN - Sung-Chul Yang, Republic of Korea Ambassador to the United States
- David PetraeusDavid PetraeusDavid Howell Petraeus is the current Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, sworn in on September 6, 2011. Prior to his assuming the directorship of the CIA, Petraeus was a four-star general serving over 37 years in the United States Army. His last assignments in the Army were as commander...
, General, United States Army
Fellows & Study Groups
The Fellows Program represents a unique opportunity for political practitioners with diverse experiences and viewpoints to spend a semester at Harvard. Fellows interact with students, participate in the intellectual life of the community, and pursue individual studies or projects. The Fellows Program is central to the Institute's dual commitment to encourage student interest in public life and to develop ways for the academic and political communities to learn from each other. The Harvard Political ReviewHarvard Political ReviewThe Harvard Political Review is a quarterly, nonpartisan American magazine and website on politics and public policy founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1969 at Harvard University. It is published by the Harvard Institute of Politics, an undergraduate student organization...
The IOP is also home to and publishes the Harvard Political ReviewHarvard Political Review
The Harvard Political Review is a quarterly, nonpartisan American magazine and website on politics and public policy founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1969 at Harvard University. It is published by the Harvard Institute of Politics, an undergraduate student organization...
(HPR). The HPR is a quarterly, non-partisan journal of political affairs, written, edited, and managed entirely by Harvard College undergraduates.