Even at Harvard, a liberal Atlanticist bubble where the Marshall Plan was first announced, events to celebrate NATO’s 70th Anniversary celebration were sparsely attended by American students, unlike Europeans who were excited to attend. Expectations for the NATO summit scheduled this month in London were low, and organizers hoped at best to avoid new tensions […]

Meritocracy is generally celebrated as an ideology that promotes equality of opportunity, and hence, seen as just. Xuan Yee interrogates this view by exploring the moral, psychological, and intellectual ramifications of meritocracy when taken to its extreme. He argues that an unquestioned belief in meritocracy is dangerous, for it encourages the successful to justify their own moral deservingness of their position in society, and thus, legitimizes inequality.

Listen Here! Welcome to our second HJHP Podcast for the 2019-2020 academic year. For the second episode of our series, Pain to Power, we interviewed Mayor of Topeka, KS Michelle De La Isla. In our conversation with Mayor De La Isla, we learned about her journey from New York to the Mayoral office in Topeka. […]

The 2011 Tunisian revolution that ousted a dictator and security state rule, did not only change the country’s political system, but it impacted all aspects of Tunisian life, especially for women. The most recent national election, in October 2019, brought a new independent President to power. Met with celebration, Tunisians appeared eager to start a […]

  Katya* was on her fifth pregnancy and still without a child. When I met her this summer on the Maternal Fetal Medicine service, she had experienced three miscarriages and terminated one pregnancy. She is a carrier of a genetic mutation that prevents her pregnancies from surviving both inside and outside of the womb. Advances […]

While recent events have triggered concerns over democracy and fundamental freedoms in Singapore, Seow Yongzhi argues that these debates conflate the terms “democracy” and “liberalism”. Democracies, as Yongzhi points out, can be highly illiberal. Instead, what Singaporeans want is not necessarily democracy, but liberty – the right to voice their disagreements.

What can two small cities in Maine and upstate New York teach us about the national housing crisis?

For over a century, the Statue of Liberty stood as a powerful symbol of the United States’ promise to welcome immigrants to a new land of safety and opportunity. However, a recent Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposal to expand the definition of the “public charge” rule threatens to tarnish that legacy. The proposed changes […]

Accessing the American College Dream There is a persistent and aspirational narrative in the United States that no matter what circumstances one was born into, college can be the great equalizer of opportunity. Imbued within this narrative are two main beliefs. The first is that the United States is a meritocracy where the cream will […]

Who should take the step forward in the push for LGBTQ+ rights? Should leaders set the agenda, or should they react to societal pressure and preference? Ryan Kueh explores how the repeal of 377A aligns with Singapore’s political ethos and how Singapore’s Leadership can rise up to the task.

“Where I live, people don’t call the police.” There’s a palpable stillness in the room. Thirty-five pairs of adolescent eyes are fixed on Mariely[1] as she quietly, bravely describes witnessing a man get stabbed in front of her house, feeling unable to call the cops for help. Some students silently gesture with their pinkies outstretched […]

“It is tempting to believe that the cynic is, somehow, more intelligent than the dreamer. But in truth, pragmatism is no smarter than idealism.” Lee Chin Wee argues that, in discussions about Singapore’s future, we should leave room at the table for idealists and dreamers. In his view, it is a mistake to treat the government’s growth-oriented and metrics-focused narrative of pragmatism as gospel truth. When Singaporeans present and grapple with competing visions of the ‘good’, this strengthens social inclusion and improves policy-making.