JANUARY 2014
EveryDayJFK Campaign • Senior Advisory Committee Additions • New Frontier Awards • Careers and Internships • National Campaign Conference and Expansion • Fall Resident and Visiting Fellows John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum Events • Fall Photos Collection • New Millennials and Politics Poll Newly Elected Mayors Conference • IOP News Briefs • Professional Updates from IOP Alumni
EVERYDAY JFK
Institute launches fall campaign highlighting how students and alumni honor President Kennedy’s public service lessons every day and inspire a new generation to make a difference.
Welcome
TO THE INSTITUTE OF POLITICS Fall 2013 at the Institute was fast-paced, exciting and memorable – our programming inspired countless students and re-invigorated our staff toward more effective fulfillment of our mission than ever before.
As the nation’s eyes turned to President Kennedy’s legacy on the 50th anniversary of his death in late November, we chose to emphasize how the Institute – a living memorial to the President – honors his legacy every day by inspiring a new generation of students to a life of politics and public service. We created an #EveryDayJFK campaign – featuring an amazing video, photos and testimonials, all available on our website – highlighting how our students honor President Kennedy’s public service lessons in their work each day.
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.
This fall, we worked to not only grow student involvement on our campus, but also to broaden our mission and include students on other campuses, Also, please follow us on across the country and even around the world. An important example YouTube, Google+, Twitter features our National Campaign for Political and Civic Engagement. This and Facebook at usernames semester, we expanded to a twenty-fifth campus, Arizona State University HarvardIOP and (ASU), filling an overlooked geographic region and reconnecting us with JFKJrForum. former Student Advisory Committee Vice Chair Jonathan Koppell ’93 who now serves as dean of ASU’s College of Public Programs. On campus, our diverse programming attracted the largest number of undergraduates seeking to become involved with the Institute – many applying for more than one program – and high student attendance for our events, notably for John F. Kennedy Jr. Forums and Career Services discussions such as Job Talks or Career Roundtables. Our fall poll tracking the political views of America’s 18- to 29- year-olds received the most attention in the thirteen-year history of the project. We continue to embrace and utilize technology. This summer, we added a mobile website that allows students and others to get the information they need in a mobile-friendly format. We also improved the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum audience experience by upgrading infrastructure to ensure events are broadcast and archived in high definition and by updating the sound and video for those viewing Forums in person. As always, we were fortunate to have outstanding guests that inspired thousands, including 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, as well as Norwegian prime minister Jens Stoltenberg and Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos – both of whom spoke to packed Forum audiences in the same evening. We are enjoying working with our students and Harvard colleagues to inspire tomorrow’s generation to serve. I hope to see you this spring. Thanks for your interest in the IOP.
Trey Grayson ’94 1 INSTITUTE OF POLITICS
#EveryDayJFK
IOP HONORS JFK’s LEGACY OF PUBLIC SERVICE
At Harvard’s Institute of Politics, a living memorial to President Kennedy, we work to celebrate the President’s legacy of public service every day. Institute students join us in living out this legacy through all of our programming throughout the year. This fall, the Institute began showcasing how our students and others honor President Kennedy’s lessons in our work to promote politics and public service using the social tag #EveryDayJFK to highlight this effort on our social media channels @HarvardIOP. Visit iop.harvard.edu/everyday-jfk and check out our #EveryDayJFK video featuring IOP students from all major Institute programs reading lines from some of President Kennedy’s most powerful speeches and holding inspirational messages at scenes throughout Cambridge and Boston. We are very pleased this video has been shared hundreds of times on social media and viewed on the Institute’s and Harvard University’s YouTube channels over 8,000 times. Visit a special #EveryDayJFK section of our blog, “The Educated Citizen” (www.iop.harvard.edu/blog-tags-everydayjfk), to find personal reflections from former IOP Fellows and others on the importance of President Kennedy and his public service lessons. Also check out our Tumblr, “The Public Service Project” (harvardiop.tumblr.com), which includes dozens of photos, individual Instagram video clips and inspirational quotes featuring students participating in the #EveryDayJFK project and describes how the President still inspires them today to make a difference and improve our communities. INSTITUTE OF POLITICS 2
New Leadership NEW ROLES ON SENIOR ADVISORY COMMITTEE This fall, the Institute was proud to announce the appointment of Ken Duberstein, former chief of staff to President Ronald Reagan, as Chairman – and five experienced political practitioners as new members – of the Institute’s Senior Advisory Committee. The Committee is responsible for guiding and advising Institute staff toward fulfillment of the IOP’s mission of inspiring young people to careers in politics and public service. Duberstein succeeds former Committee Chairwoman and now U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy, with whom he worked closely and who will serve as the Committee’s Honorary Chair.
“I am very pleased to serve in this new role on the Senior Advisory Committee at Harvard’s Institute of Politics, an organization that I have been privileged to work with for nearly two decades,” said Ken Duberstein, Harvard Institute of Politics Senior Advisory Committee Chair, Committee member (1996-present) and Duberstein Group Chairman and CEO. “As the polarization of today’s Washington, D.C. continues to sour youth on politics, the aim of the Institute – to inspire the next generation to serve – has never been more important. I look forward to joining with this bipartisan group of new Committee members and helping the IOP’s staff and students achieve this critical goal.” New members joining the Committee include: Manny Diaz, mayor, Miami, FL (2001-09) and former president, U.S. Conference of Mayors; Ron Fournier, national correspondent and editorial director, National Journal; Joseph P. Kennedy III, U.S. representative (MA-4th, D); Susan Molinari, former U.S. representative (NY-13th/14th, R; 1990-97); and Olympia Snowe, former U.S. senator (R-ME; 1995-2013). The Institute also added Hilda L. Solis, former U.S. Department of Labor secretary (2009-13) and U.S. representative (CA-32nd, D; 2001-09), to the Committee earlier last spring.
3 INSTITUTE OF POLITICS
New Frontier Awards TENTH ANNUAL AWARD RECIPIENTS HONORED In late November in the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum, Jack Schlossberg, President John F. Kennedy’s grandson and New Frontier Award Committee member, presented the tenth annual John F. Kennedy New Frontier Awards to U.S. congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (HI-2nd, D) and Charles Best, founder and CEO of DonorsChoose.org, a pioneering online charity that connects individual donors with public school teachers to meet classroom teaching needs. The John F. Kennedy New Frontier Awards were created by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and the Institute of Politics to honor Americans under the age of 40 who are changing their communities and the country with their commitment to public service. The awards are presented annually to two exceptional individuals whose contributions in elective office, community service or advocacy demonstrate the impact and the value of public service in the spirit of John F. Kennedy. “We have been told over and over that America is no longer the great country that it was when my grandfather was president,” said Jack Schlossberg. “But Charles Best and Tulsi Gabbard exemplify the spirit of public service that is the heart of President Kennedy’s legacy. From heads of state to community volunteers, from NASA to the Peace Corps, President Kennedy inspired people all over the world to put their time and talent to work on the great challenges of the era. Tulsi Gabbard and Charles Best are carrying that torch into a new era as direct descendants of my grandfather’s New Frontier. They are pioneers and problem-solvers who are stepping up to meet the challenges of our time with creativity, purpose and resolve,” Schlossberg said. Tulsi Gabbard is one of the first two female combat veterans to serve as a member of the U.S. Congress. An advocate for environmental policy, Gabbard first ran for the Hawaii state legislature in 2002, where at 21 she became the youngest person ever to serve in that body. In 2003, she joined the Hawaii National Guard, and a year later, she voluntarily deployed to Iraq, eventually serving two tours of combat duty in the Middle East. In 2012, Gabbard was elected to the U.S. Congress, where she has emerged as a leader on veterans’ issues and a voice for a younger generation of solutions-oriented political leaders. The first piece of legislation she introduced in the House, the “Helping Heroes Fly Act,” which streamlines airport security screenings for injured and disabled veterans, was enacted with bipartisan support. Charles Best is founder and CEO of DonorsChoose.org, an online charity that enables individuals to provide direct support to teachers and students in public schools. DonorsChoose.org enables public school teachers to post and publicize classroom projects, and individuals to donate directly to the projects of their choice. Today, teachers at half of all the public schools in the United States have created projects on DonorsChoose.org, and more than a million people have given a total of $200 million worth of books, art supplies, field trips, technology and other resources directly to teachers and their students. DonorsChoose.org was named by Fast Company as one of the “50 Most Innovative Companies in the World” – the first time a charity has received such recognition. INSTITUTE OF POLITICS 4
Summer and fall of 2013 proved to be great successes for the Institute’s Office of Internships and Career Services (ICS), which has a unique opportunity and ability to inspire students – to involve them in politics and public service through IOP networks and the opportunities created and maintained in the ICS program. ICS continues to offer programming and events aiming to achieve this goal, like Career Roundtables and JobTalks. Geared toward exploring a particular field in politics and public service, Career Roundtables feature practitioners experienced in a field of interest and allow undergraduates to better understand what those careers look like, the skills necessary to succeed and how to gain entry. This fall, ICS created a new series of events called JobTalks focused on post-graduate opportunities in politics and public service. At JobTalks, professional representatives speak with undergraduates about the practical aspects of how to get a job with their organizations and discuss any fellowship programs that may be offered. Specifically geared toward juniors and seniors, JobTalks help expose students to jobs in politics and public service during on-campus events and offer undergraduates exposure to public service career paths.
Careers &
Internships INSPIRING STUDENTS TO PUBLIC SERVICE CAREERS
During the fall semester, over 700 students attended more than twenty-five IOP Career Roundtables and JobTalks. ICS also held weekly office hours this fall for any college student with questions related to political and public service career and internship opportunities. In order to engage students across all ICS programs, the office created a Tumblr, “Path to Public Service,” highlighting students working in public service this past summer as Institute interns or grant recipients 5 INSTITUTE OF POLITICS
in cities across the country and around the world. The Tumblr features student blog posts and event photos, IOP “Intern-of-theWeek” videos and student quotes and testimonials on career-focused programming from Career Roundtables and JobTalks held during the academic year. ICS also continues productive joint efforts with public service partners across campus – including Harvard’s dean of public service, the Office of Career Services, the
Center for Public Interest Careers and Phillips Brooks House Association – as well as with dozens of student groups, tutors and departments across campus to broaden politically and public servicefocused programming. An example was the Institute’s participation in Harvard’s “Government Week” in October, where ICS participated in a Government Meet Up for employers and students to come together, which was attended by over 90 undergraduates.
National Programs
NATIONAL CAMPAIGN INSPIRES ACROSS THE U.S.
This fall, the Institute added Arizona State University’s (ASU) College of Public Programs to its National Campaign for Political and Civic Engagement, a consortium of twenty-five colleges and universities around the country committed to creating more politically and civically engaged campuses. Participating schools work on their own campuses and collaboratively in three key areas: establishing an ongoing relationship with electoral politics; focusing on career development in public service; and ensuring a foundation in civic education. The IOP’s addition of ASU gives the National Campaign a new partner school in the southwestern United States and furthers a relationship with former Institute Student Advisory Committee leader Jonathan Koppell ’93, who now holds the post of dean at ASU’s College of Public Programs.
“We are proud to partner with Arizona State’s College of Public Programs to promote youth civic engagement in Arizona,” said Trey Grayson, Institute of Politics Director and Kentucky Secretary of State (2004-11). “As Harvard undergraduates, Dean Koppell and I worked together as Institute of Politics student leaders – he knows our mission well. I am confident that adding Arizona State to the Institute’s National Campaign will strengthen efforts to encourage youth involvement in the political process.” In early October, ASU student representatives joined nearly four dozen other undergraduates from National Campaign schools across the country for the Campaign’s annual conference on fostering campus civic engagement. “Change Agents: Tools for Effective Advocacy” ran from Oct. 4-6 and featured Harvard faculty, former Institute Fellows, instructional workshops and panel discussions. Participating students were asked to serve as “National Campaign Ambassadors” for the academic year and engage with the IOP and one another in a variety of ways, including writing content for the IOP blog, authoring op-eds on public service and submitting a plan for promoting student advocacy and engagement on their campus using the skills and drawing on the discussions from the October conference.
Conference highlights included sessions on “Creating and Maintaining Your Team,” featuring political organizer and Spring 2009 IOP Fellow Teresa Vilmain; “Putting Ideas to Paper: Crafting Your Message,” led by former senior speechwriter to President George W. Bush and White House deputy assistant to the President and Spring 2011 IOP Fellow John McConnell; “Agile Advocacy: Building Political Power with Social Media,” with MIT visiting scholar Aaron Naparstek; and “Questions of Ethics in Turbulent Times,” led by Harvard Kennedy School lecturer and dean for Strategic Program Development Pete Zimmerman. INSTITUTE OF POLITICS 6
MO COWAN U.S. Senator (D-MA; Feb. 2013-July 2013) and former senior advisor, chief of staff and chief legal counsel to Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick
GINNY HUNT Google strategy principal and founder of Google’s public sector product and engineering team
SASHA ISSENBERG Slate columnist and author of The Victory Lab: The Secret Science of Winning Campaigns and The Sushi Economy: Globalization and the Making of a Modern Delicacy
Fall Fellows STRONG FELLOWS GROUP CAPTIVATES CAMPUS
A fantastic group of fall IOP Fellows kept the Harvard campus buzzing this past semester. Fall Fellows’ notfor-credit study groups covered a wide range of subjects appealing to students, faculty and the general public, including: running a presidential campaign; our changing democracy and representation in today’s Congress; the role of data, experiments and analytics in political campaigns today; small business and entrepreneurship; politics, technology and governing; and the future of the Republican party. Outside of their successful and popular study group discussion sessions at the IOP, fall Fellows were popular guest speakers at dozens of undergraduate and graduate events on campus. Fellows also were frequent fixtures at John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum events, willing participants in the IOP’s Civics program, volunteers at Boston non-profit Cradles to Crayons and other community service organizations, guest lecturers in Harvard Kennedy School public policy classes and eager to meet with dozens of graduate and undergraduate student organizations. In addition, the IOP was proud to host two visiting fellows this fall. In late October, Antonio Villaraigosa, twoterm mayor of Los Angeles (2005-13), met and engaged with numerous undergraduate and graduate student groups interested in business and government, electoral politics and the law and constitutional issues – and participated as a guest speaker in Fall 2013 IOP Fellow Ana Navarro’s study group. Two weeks later, the Institute was proud to host Hilda L. Solis (see photo next page), former U.S. labor secretary (2009-13), U.S. representative (CA-32nd, D; 2001-09) and IOP Senior Advisory Committee member, who engaged with countless students and student groups on topics ranging from immigration to the economy to leadership. Both Villaraigosa and Solis also were featured as speakers in the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum during their time at the IOP.
7 INSTITUTE OF POLITICS
KAREN MILLS
BETH MYERS
ANA NAVARRO
U.S. Small Business Administration administrator (20092013) and former member of President Obama’s cabinet and economic leadership team
Advisor (2012) and campaign manager (2008) to Mitt Romney’s presidential campaigns
CNN/CNN Español political commentator and key aide to Jon Huntsman’s 2012 and John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaigns
Just some of the Fellows’ popular guests appearing in weekly discussion groups or participating via Skype included Elana Berkowitz, Emerging Markets, Etsy; Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida; Anderson Cooper, CNN host; Gail Gitcho, communications director, Romney for President 2012; Danielle Gray, assistant and senior advisor to President Obama and member of the President’s Cabinet; Scott Griffith, former CEO, Zipcar; Carla Harris, National Women’s Business Council chair; Juliette Kayyem, Democratic candidate for governor of Massachusetts; Deval Patrick, governor of Massachusetts; Dr. James Peterson, director, Africana studies and associate English professor, Lehigh University; Jorge Ramos, national co-anchor, Univision news; Matt Rhoades, campaign manager, Romney for President 2012; Todd Rogers, professor, Harvard Kennedy School; founding executive director, Analyst Institute; Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, U.S. congresswoman (FL-27, R); Hilary Rosen, Democratic strategist and LGBT advocate; Liba Rubenstein, director of strategy and outreach, Tumblr; Andy Serwer, managing editor, Fortune; Clay Shirky, Internet theorist; Amelia Showalter, former director of online analytics, Obama for America; Michael Simon, president, HaystaqDNA and former national targeting lead, Obama for America; Olympia Snowe, former U.S. senator (R-ME) and IOP Senior Advisory Committee member; Dan Wagner, former chief analytics officer, Obama for America and founder, Civis Analytics; and Spencer Zwick, finance director, Romney for President in 2008 and 2012. Former Fellows: If you are visiting Cambridge and are interested in sharing 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 (eric_andersen@harvard.edu) for more information about staying involved with the IOP.
INSTITUTE OF POLITICS 8
JFK Jr.
FALL SEMESTER TACKLES TODAY’S TOP ISSUES
POLITICS AND POLICY Fall in the Forum featured broad looks at government, politics and domestic policy. In October, Rahm Emanuel, Chicago, IL mayor and former White House chief of staff, spoke with Lois Romano, Politico senior political reporter and Spring 2008 IOP Fellow, on the importance of local government. Days later, former Los Angeles mayor and Fall 2013 IOP Visiting Fellow Antonio Villaraigosa joined CNN/ CNN Español political commentator and Fall 2013 Fellow Ana Navarro for a conversation on his experience as a leader and the future of Hispanic leadership in the United States. Navarro also joined IOP Director Trey Grayson, CNN political contributor Paul Begala, National Review Washington editor Robert Costa and MSNBC host Karen Finney for a discussion on potential candidates for the 2016 presidential election. In late October, Republican political consultant and strategist and Spring 1993 9 INSTITUTE OF POLITICS
Fellow Frank Luntz led a panel discussion on campaign advertising and the 2012 election cycle with Obama for America’s Jim Margolis and Restore our Future’s Larry McCarthy. The Forum’s final fall political discussion event featured top journalists Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, Game Change and Double Down authors, joining Joe Klein, TIME political columnist and Joan Shorenstein Fellow at the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, to discuss the 2012 and upcoming 2016 presidential campaigns. GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AND DEBT The effectiveness of today’s Washington, D.C. was a hot topic this fall. Fall 2007 IOP Fellow and former Washington Post national political editor Maralee Schwartz moderated a revealing look at the implications of the 2013 government shutdown
I can promise you she has not made up her mind... she’s not going to decide until it’s time to decide. – CNN political contributor Paul Begala on Hillary Clinton’s prospective 2016 run for president
Forum with Harvard Kennedy School lecturers Linda Bilmes and David King and TIME’s Joe Klein. The following month, Harvard President Drew Gilpin Faust kicked off an event exploring, “Partisanship & Gridlock in Congress: Can We Make Democracy Work?” November Forums on U.S fiscal health featured former U.S. senator (R-WY) and IOP Director (1998-2000) Alan Simpson on the growth in entitlement spending, and a discussion on generational equity and the national debt with American Education Foundation founder Meredith Bagby, HKS lecturer Linda Bilmes, AARP president Robert Romasco, “The Can Kicks Back” co-founder Nick Troiano and Travelers Institute president Joan Woodward. FOREIGN POLICY AND INTERNATIONAL ISSUES Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs director Graham Allison and HKS Jeane Kirkpatrick professor of the practice of international affairs Meghan O’Sullivan each moderated timely and powerful September discussions on the conflict in Syria and the regional implications and challenges posed to the U.S. European Central Bank president and Fall 2001 IOP Visiting Fellow Mario Draghi presented the 2013 Malcolm Wiener Lecture in International Political Economy
in October and addressed ongoing political and economic reforms to the European Union. In November, U.S. Army chief of staff General Raymond T. Odierno joined David Gergen, co-director of HKS’ Center for Public Leadership, for a discussion on military leadership, global strategy and force readiness.
policy advisor for social finance and innovation, also headlined a discussion on the social impact economy.
INTERNATIONAL LEADER DOUBLE-HEADER On September 25, two world leaders visited the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum for major addresses: president of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos, who named security, modernization and justice as the primary policy objectives of the past three years of his term, and prime minster of Norway Jens Stoltenberg, who focused on energy policy in his country. INNOVATION Clay Shirky, NYU associate professor and 2010 Joan Shorenstein Center Edward R. Murrow visiting lecturer, joined Fall 2013 IOP Fellow and Google strategy principal Ginny Hunt for a conversation on technology, politics, government and the rollout of www.healthcare. gov. Scott Griffith, former Zipcar chairman and CEO, Karen Gordon Mills, former Small Business Administration administrator and Fall 2013 IOP Fellow, and David Wilkinson, White House senior INSTITUTE OF POLITICS 10
Fall Highlights SPECTACULAR SPEAKERS AND EVENTS MARK INSPIRING SEMESTER
(Row 1, L to R): IOP Director Trey Grayson kicks off a fall 2013 Undergraduate Council debate in the Forum on Nov. 18; (Row 2, L to R): Fall 2013 Resident Fellow Mo Cowan and students during the IOP’s Sept. Open House event; WBUR radio host Tom Ashbrook convened and taped a discussion on economic inequality before a live audience in the Forum on Oct. 3; Mario Draghi, European Central Bank president, delivers the 2013 Malcolm Wiener Lecture in International Political Economy in the Forum on Oct. 9; (Row 3, L to R): U.S. Army chief of staff General Raymond T. Odierno discussed leadership and the U.S. Army in the Forum in November; Fall 2013 Resident Fellow Ana Navarro engages with students; a moving October Forum discussion on the nature of conflicts involving “child soldiers.” 11 INSTITUTE OF POLITICS
(Row 1, L to R): Fall 2013 IOP Visiting Fellow, IOP Senior Advisory Committee member and former U.S. secretary of labor Hilda L. Solis meets undergraduates in November; Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel engages with students prior to his Oct. 18 Forum address; (Row 2, L to R): former U.S. senator (R-WY) and IOP Director Alan Simpson delivered the 2013 Theodore H. White Lecture on Press and Politics on Nov. 12 in the Forum and addressed the federal budget process and the growth in entitlement spending; Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (pictured) and DonorsChoose.org founder and CEO Charles Best were presented the 2013 New Frontier Awards by Jack Schlossberg, President John F. Kennedy’s grandson, in the Forum on Nov. 25; IOP Director Trey Grayson hosted a riveting discussion on domestic policy and politics – including the fight over and rollout of the Affordable Care Act – with National Review’s Reihan Salam ’01 during an Oct. 28 Director’s Dinner event; (Row 3, L to R): John McConnell, Spring 2011 Resident Fellow and former speechwriter to George W. Bush, spoke to students from schools across the country on crafting a message during the National Campaign’s early October conference; Council on Foreign Relations president Richard Haass joined Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs director Graham Allison in the Forum on Sept. 10 to discuss “American Foreign Policy: Does it Begin at Home?”; Fall 2013 Resident Fellow Sasha Issenberg spoke with dozens of students during the IOP’s Sept. Open House event.
INSTITUTE OF POLITICS 12
IOP Survey
INSTITUTE RELEASES SURVEY PROJECT’S 24th POLL In early December, the IOP survey team released their latest national poll on the political views of Millennials – America’s 18- to 29- year-olds. The poll’s results included an in-depth look at enrolling in and opinions related to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), job performance of President Obama and Congress and other issues. The timing of the IOP poll release coincided with a major push by the President to boost Millennial enrollment in the ACA – resulting in massive news coverage on the survey’s results by hundreds of media outlets and the most attention garnered in the thirteen-year history of the polling project. “A critical factor in the election and reelection of Barack Obama, America’s 18- to 29- year-olds now rate the President’s job performance closer to that of Congress – and at the lowest level since he took office in 2009,” said Harvard Institute of Politics Director Trey Grayson. “Overcoming today’s bitter partisanship and governmental gridlock is essential to showing Millennials and all our citizens that Washington, D.C. – and our democratic process – can still work and make a difference.” Most Millennials Believe ACA/Obamacare Will Bring Higher Costs, Worse Care. When America’s 18- to 29- year-olds were asked if they approved or disapproved of the comprehensive health reform package that the president signed into law in 2010, a solid majority disapproved. When the law was referred to in November IOP polling as the “Affordable Care Act” (ACA), 39 percent of Millennials said they approved (56%: disapprove) and nearly identical proportions were found when the law was referred to as “Obamacare” (38%: approve; 57%: disapprove). These findings mirror ABC News/Washington Post nationwide polling (Nov. 14-17) finding 40 percent of adults supported the federal law making changes to the health care system, while 57 percent opposed it. By a margin of more than two to one, Millennial respondents believe that the quality of their care will get worse under the new health care provisions 13 INSTITUTE OF POLITICS
when termed “Affordable Care Act” (17%: care will improve; 44%: care will worsen) or “Obamacare” (18%: care will improve; 40%: care will worsen) in the November poll. Between 50 percent (when ACA is used) and 51 percent (when Obamacare is used) of young people believe their cost of care will increase under the health reform law; approximately one in ten (10% under ACA, 11% under Obamacare) said that their costs will likely decrease. Less than One Third of Uninsured Millennials Plan to Enroll in Exchanges under New Health Care Law. Regardless of the term used in describing the federal health reform package, among the 22 percent of Millennials who do not have health insurance presently, 29 percent (13% definitely will enroll, 16%
probably will enroll) said they will enroll in the program described as Obamacare, and 25 percent (10% definitely will enroll, 15% probably will enroll) said the same when it’s referred to as the Affordable Care Act. Less than 10 percent of Republicans plan to enroll in an exchange, less than 20 percent of Independents – and between 35 and 40 percent of Democrats, depending on the name associated with the law. Near-Majority Support Recall of Congress and the President. In an effort to gauge young voters’ attitudes about President Obama and Democrats and Republicans in Washington, D.C., November IOP polling found that a majority (52%) of 18- to 29- year-olds would choose to recall all members of Congress if it were possible, forty-five percent (45%) would recall their member of Congress (45% would not) and approximately the same number indicate that they would recall President Obama (47% recall, 46% not recall). In NBC News/Wall Street Journal polling, released in October during the time of the government shutdown, 60 percent of adults nationwide said they would cast a vote to defeat and replace every single member of Congress, including their own representative, if provided an opportunity. November IOP polling also found nineteen percent (19%) of Millennials who voted for Barack Obama in 2012 and a majority (52%) of all voters under the age of 25 (compared to 40 percent between ages 25 and 29) would recall the president if they could; seventeen percent (17%) of those who voted for Barack Obama in 2012 would not support him if they could recast their vote today. Student Debt Issues Transcend Political Party Affiliation; Majority Call Student Debt a “Major Problem.” A majority (54%) of those enrolled in a four-year college said that they or someone in their household currently has student loan debt. Among 18- to 29- year-olds, more than two in five (42%) Millennials said the same; 48 percent indicated that they had no debt. Regardless of whether or not they have debt, 57 percent of America’s 18- to 29- year-olds said they believe student debt is a “major problem” for young people in the U.S., with 22 percent saying it’s a “minor problem.” November IOP polling also found little disagreement among political parties regarding the severity of the student debt problem, with a majority of Democrats (62%), Republicans (57%) and Independents (55%) saying they believe the problem is “major.” Seventy percent (70%) reported that financial circumstances played an important (41% very,
29% somewhat) role in their decision whether or not to pursue a college education. Millennials Unsure about Snowden’s Legacy. Millennials were asked whether they considered Edward Snowden, a contractor for the National Security Agency who released classified documents to the media that demonstrated what he believed was an unethical collection of private data from U.S. citizens by the U.S. Intelligence Community, a “patriot” or “traitor.” More than half (52%) indicated that they were unsure, with twenty-two percent (22%) describing him as a “patriot,” and the same number (22%) saying “traitor.” Poll respondents were also asked about hypothetical situation where “if you found yourself in a position similar to that of Edward Snowden, would you release the classified documents to the media, or would you not release the documents?” By a margin of two to one, more Millennials said they would not release such documents (31%: would not release; 15%: would release) with half (50%) unsure. Complete results are available – along with past surveys – online at www.iop.harvard.edu/survey. INSTITUTE OF POLITICS 14
New Mayors NEW CITY LEADERS GAIN KEY INSIGHTS
AT IOP SEMINAR
In early December, the Institute held the 20th biennial Seminar on Transition and Leadership for Newly Elected Mayors, co-sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, at Harvard. Twenty-six newly elected U.S. mayors participated in a variety of sessions led by academics, practitioners, and current and former mayors, including transitioning from the campaign to City Hall, finance and administration, jobs and the economy, public safety, education and technology. A seminar highlight included a discussion on “Managing in a Time of Crisis,” with Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School professor Dutch Leonard and Tuscaloosa, AL mayor Walter Maddox. The newly elected mayors also listened intently to the advice of retiring Boston mayor Thomas M. Menino, who emphasized sticking to your priorities and working to maintain the trust of the people. New mayors also asked for and received seasoned advice on reducing crime and selecting a police commissioner in a session featuring Manny Diaz, two-term mayor of Miami, FL and Spring 2010 IOP Resident Fellow; Philadelphia, PA mayor Michael Nutter; Cathy Lanier, Washington, D.C. chief of police; and former Boston police commissioner and Spring 2014 IOP Resident Fellow Ed Davis.
“We gladly welcome again newly elected U.S. mayors to Harvard,” said Trey Grayson, Harvard Institute of Politics Director. “Our seminar focuses on providing a critical opportunity for new city leaders to engage with and learn from top academics, policy experts and political practitioners on the urgent issues and complex challenges of governing today.” Newly elected mayors attending the program included: Kathy Sheehan of Albany, NY; Esther Manheimer of Asheville, NC; Marty Walsh of Boston, MA (above left); John Ducey of Brick Township, NJ; Bill Carpenter of Brockton, MA; Marni Sawicki of Cape Coral, FL; Patrick Cannon of Charlotte, NC; Richard Kos of Chicopee, MA; Aja Brown of Compton, CA; Nan Whaley of Dayton, OH; John Eberhart of Fairbanks, AK; Mark Holland of Kansas City, KS; Howard Wiggs of Lakeland, FL; Philip Levine of Miami Beach, FL; Jerry Morales of Midland, TX; Toni Harp of New Haven, CT; Harry Rilling of Norwalk, CT; Bill Peduto of Pittsburgh, PA; Harry LaRosiliere of Plano, TX; Lovely Warren of Rochester, NY; Rusty Paul of Sandy Springs, GA; Ed Murray of Seattle, WA; Rick Kriseman of St. Petersburg, FL; D. Michael Collins of Toledo, OH; Ron Bigelow of West Valley City, UT; and John McNally of Youngstown, OH. 15 INSTITUTE OF POLITICS
News Briefs
ALUMNI OUTREACH; IOP MOBILE; FORUM ON THE ROAD; ARUSA
IOP Ramps Up Alumni Engagement Efforts This fall, the Institute took new steps to engage with hundreds of IOP alumni to better connect – both professionally and geographically – with former students and Fellows. These efforts aim to identify ways former Fellows and student alumni can help current Institute students, including: serving as student mentors; identifying public service jobs and internships for prospective and recent Harvard graduates; and finding opportunities to speak with students at Institute of Politics-like organizations housed at any of the IOP’s twenty-five National Campaign partner colleges and universities across the country. Over sixty IOP alumni gathered for successful fall focus groups in Boston, New York and Washington, D.C. and offered great suggestions for increased alumni engagement – including serving advisory roles on Internships, Fellows and career mentoring committees. The Institute is planning numerous 2014 events to continue these efforts, and welcomes participation from additional interested alumni. For more information or to get involved, please don’t hesitate to contact IOP Executive Director Cathy McLaughlin at catherine_mclaughlin@hks.harvard.edu. Institute Launches New Mobile Website To kick off the fall semester, the Institute was proud to complete the roll out of a mobile website to better serve the needs of the IOP community on the move. The Institute worked over the summer with Cambridge, MAbased Modo Labs to develop a mobile website adapted for those visiting the IOP website on their mobile phone or tablet. As mobile-originated web traffic continues to increase, IOP analytics also shows that at certain times almost half of traffic to recent IOP news items or other online feature material is coming from mobile devices. IOP students, alumni and friends can now catch up on what’s new at the IOP, see the schedule of events and watch and read content optimized for viewing on a mobile device or tablet. Reach the Institute’s mobile web application by going to http://m.iop.harvard.edu on your web browser on any internet-enabled mobile device. IOP Partners with HKS for Another Successful “Forum on the Road” Event In late September, Harvard Kennedy School’s (HKS) Office of Alumni Relations and the Institute of Politics – with generous support from HKS Dean’s Executive Committee member David M. Rubenstein – brought alumni of both institutions together for a successful “Forum on the Road” roundtable event at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Following opening remarks by HKS Dean David Ellwood, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs director Graham T. Allison moderated the late-September discussion “The NSA Conundrum: National Security vs. Privacy and the Press” featuring former U.S. Homeland Security secretary Michael Chertoff; former U.S. congresswoman (CA-36th, D) and recognized security and public policy expert Jane Harman; and New York Times chief Washington correspondent and Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs lecturer David Sanger. Students Release New Report on U.S. Finances during Government Gridlock As Washington, D.C. reeled from a budget stalemate and government shutdown in mid-October, student writers, editors and designers for the Institute’s Harvard Political Review – a top undergraduate journal on politics and public policy – released the FY 2012 Annual Report of the USA (ARUSA), a research tool offering an examination of the federal budget and American spending policy. First created in 1995 by Harvard undergraduate and Spring 2004 IOP Fellow Meredith Bagby, ARUSA’s FY 2012 edition presents speical reports on: the debt ceiling and other fiscal issues; recovering from our nation’s recession; and a detailed review of federal spending in numerous key areas. More information and a video on the key findings are available on the Institute’s website. INSTITUTE OF POLITICS 16
IOP on the Move PROFESSIONAL UPDATES ON IOP ALUMNI Matt Bai (Fall 2001 Fellow) is now the national political columnist for Yahoo! News.
Andrei Cherny (SAC 1997)
is co-founder and CEO of Aspiration Investments.
Christina Bellantoni (Fall 2011 Fellow)
has returned to Roll Call as editorin-chief.
Tina Flournoy (Spring 2009 Fellow)
Torie Clarke (IOP Senior Advisory Committee Member)
is now the senior vice president for corporate affairs at SAP.
Rick Berke (IOP Senior Advisory Committee Member and Spring 1997 Fellow)
Stephanie Cutter (Fall 2009 Fellow)
is now serving as executive editor at POLITICO.
is now a partner at Precision Strategies and a co-host of CNN’s “Crossfire.”
Anthony Brown (SAC 1983)
Dan Dunay (SAC 2006)
John Carr (Fall 2012 Fellow)
Al Felzenberg (Spring 2006 Fellow)
lieutenant governor of Maryland, is running for governor of Maryland.
is the director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University.
17 INSTITUTE OF POLITICS
was elected to the Fair Lawn, NJ City Borough Council this fall.
is the director of communications for the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee and a visiting lecturer at University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communications.
is now serving as the chief of staff in the Office of President Clinton at the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.
Andy Frank (SAC 2005)
has started a new company, Sealed, that guarantees savings from home efficiency improvements.
Kate Widland Gallego (SAC 2004)
is now representing District 8 on the Phoenix City Council.
Justin Gest (SAC 2004)
is now a lecturer in Government and Sociology at Harvard University.
Ben Ginsberg (Fall 2005 Fellow)
is serving as a co-chair of the Presidential Commission on Election Administration along with IOP Director Trey Grayson (member).
Juleanna Glover (Spring 2002 Fellow)
is now serving as managing director of Teneo Strategy in Washington, D.C.
Kimberly Harris (SAC 1992)
Kyle Kimball (SAC 1995) is serving as president of the New York City Economic Development Corporation.
Jonathan G.S. Koppell (SAC 1993) is now the dean of
is now NBCUniversal’s executive vice president (general counsel).
Arizona State’s College of Public Programs.
Kerry Healey (Spring 2007 Fellow)
Amanda McGowan (SAC 2013) is now working as a
has joined Babson University as its president.
Juliette Kayyem (SAC 1991) is running for governor of Massachusetts.
Caroline Kennedy (IOP Senior Advisory Committee Honorary Chair) is now serving as the U.S. Ambassador to Japan.
Lois Romano (Spring 2008 Fellow)
is serving as POLITICO’s senior political writer and editor of POLITICO EVENTS.
Juan Sepulveda (SAC 1985) is working as the senior Hispanic advisor for the Democratic National Committee.
Adam Smith (SAC 1994)
production assistant at WGBH-FM.
is now the COO of American Prison Data Systems.
Margaret McKenna (Spring 2012 Fellow)
Jeff Solnet (SAC 2012)
is now teaching as a visiting professor of practice at Brandeis University.
is now working for Fenway Strategies, a new strategic communications firm in Washington, D.C.
Geetika Mehra (SAC 2012)
Elise Stefanik (SAC 2006)
is working on the policy team at J-PAL North America.
is running for U.S. Congress in the twenty-first district in New York State.
Bev Perdue (Spring 2013 Fellow)
Carlos Watson (SAC 1991)
served as a distinguished visiting fellow at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy this past fall.
has launched Ozy Media, a daily digital news and culture magazine.
Noelia Rodriguez (Fall 2007 Fellow)
recently joined Google as its head of global trade policy in Washington, D.C.
is now chief communications officer at Metro Los Angeles.
David Weller (SAC 1992)
INSTITUTE OF POLITICS 18
Director
Trey Grayson Executive Director
Catherine McLaughlin
FIRST CLASS US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #375 NASHUA NH
Institute of Politics Staff
Director of the Fellows & Study Groups Program
Eric Andersen
John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum Assistant
Meredith Blake Staff Assistant
Kerri Collins Website Communications Coordinator
Katherine Delaney Director of Polling
John Della Volpe John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum Director
Carrie Devine
Director of Conferences & Special Projects
Christian Flynn
Director of Internships and Career Services
Amy Howell
Internships and Career Services Assistant
Casey O’Neill
John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum Coordinator
Cathey Park
Director of Communications
Esten Perez
Internships and Career Services Coordinator
Sadie Polen
Digital Communications Strategist
Kellie Ryan
Executive Assistant to the Director
Julie Schroeder
Fellows and Study Groups Staff Assistant
Alysha Tierney
Director of Finance
Theresa Verbic
Email any member of the IOP at firstname_lastname@hks.harvard.edu
PHOTO CREDITS:
Jay Connor: page 11 (1, 7) Tom Fitzsimmons: page 4, page 9 (3), page 11 (5), page 12 (1-4) Martha Stewart: page 1, page 3 (1, 3, 5), pages 6-8, page 9 (1), page 10 (1-3), page 11 (2, 3, 6), page 12 (5-9), page 15 (2), page 17 (3), page 18 (2) Kristyn Ulanday: page 9 (2), page 10 (4), page 11 (4)
www.iop.harvard.edu
Laura Simolaris
The Institute of Politics Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government JFK Street Cambridge, MA
Director of National Youth Engagement