Kennedy School Review
Established in 1999, the mission of the Harvard Kennedy School Review (KSR) was to publish articles that offer compelling analysis and insight and put forward pragmatic and innovative solutions for the major issues of our time. KSR sought to publish timely, provocative, important articles that influence policymakers and practitioners, stimulate public debate, and showcase the best work of Kennedy School students. KSR provided an opportunity for students to challenge, change, and influence the policy debate on crucial policy issues.
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Want to Fix the Development Sector? Stop Calling it “Development”
08.16.17
BY ANIKA MANZOOR The international development sector, like many other sectors under the Trump Administration, is undergoing some deep soul-searching as US foreign aid faces significant cuts. From a former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees official calling the humanitarian system “broken” to our newly-appointed USAID Administrator’s blatant aversion to handouts, development practitioners in the […]
A Blueprint for Businesses Engaging with the Indian Government
08.14.17
BY MALINI BOSE “Amazon seeks government nod to set up e-tail venture in India with investment of $500 million”[1] “Alibaba to lead $200 million investment into Paytm’s online market”[2] “Apple bites Make in India carrot, to set up manufacturing unit in Bengaluru”[3] As these headlines from 03 February 2017, illustrate, the Indian and international media […]
How to Argue Against Trump’s Ban on Transgender Service Members
08.10.17
On July 26, 2017, President Trump took to Twitter to proclaim that transgender individuals are prohibited from serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. The directive caused a flurry of activity at the Pentagon. LGBTQ news sources began reporting on Friday, August 4, that a guidance document was on its way to Secretary of Defense Mattis […]
The Cry of the Climate and the Cry of the Poor: Pope Francis’s Appeal for Climate Justice
08.9.17
By TOMÁS INSUA “I commend His Holiness [Pope Francis] and all faith leaders here, for raising awareness of the urgent need to promote sustainable development and address climate . . . Your influence is enormous. You speak to the heart of humanity’s deepest hopes and needs.” Ban Ki-moon, former UN secretary general, addressing an interfaith […]
The Low U.S. Unemployment Rate Should Not Be Celebrated
08.7.17
In 1867, Karl Marx famously declared, “It is the absolute interest of every capitalist to press a given quantity of labor out of a smaller, rather than a greater number of laborers, if the cost is about the same.” Since then, the phenomenon of the “reserve army of labor,” or the existence of structural unemployment […]
We Need to Talk About Bereavement Leave
08.2.17
Last spring brought a glimmer of hope to an issue that Canada neglects: bereavement leave. Facebook announced an unprecedented leap forward, providing employees with 20 days paid leave to grieve the loss of an immediate family member, and 10 days for extended family members. It has been much discussed that this policy was at least […]
It’s Time to Pop the Liberal Bubble at Public Policy Schools
07.31.17
Donald Trump achieved what many considered unthinkable. He is president of the United States, having won 304 Electoral College votes in the 2016 election. In addition, the Republican Party won majorities in the Senate and the House of Representatives. “Why did the electorate do what they did tonight?” Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s former campaign manager, posed […]
Let’s Change the Way We Talk About Climate Change: It’s a Public Health Issue
07.26.17
BY JEAN-BAPTISTE LE MAROIS Most climate change awareness campaigns feature stranded polar bears on drifting ice sheets, or sea levels creeping over the island of Manhattan. But are these strategies convincing? The “protect the planet” approach has proven to be too weak of a public narrative to mobilize voters. Instead, imagine opening the newspaper to […]
Understanding the Ebola Narrative
07.24.17
BY CLAIRE CHAUMONT “From now on it can be said that plague was the concern of all of us.” The Plague, A. Camus, 1947[1] On 24 January 2014, the head of Meliandou health post, a sparsely populated village in Guinea, West Africa, informed district health officials of five cases of an unknown infectious disease characterized […]
The USA Is in Decline: Act Before It’s Too Late
07.20.17
BY BENJAMIN CLAYTON I’m British, so I know what a waning superpower looks like. America, welcome to the club. In 2015, Joseph Nye, geopolitical analyst extraordinaire, published a book: “Is the American Century Over?” His answer: no. Across three dimensions of power – economic, hard, and soft – Nye concluded that only in the first […]
Searching for Dignity and Work in Kara Tepe Refugee Camp
07.13.17
BY WEN HOE If you visited Kara Tepe on a Saturday night, you might not guess it is a refugee camp. The main hall bursts with music, men and women dance in white pants and colorful robes, and teens tussle in a three-on-three soccer match outside. A cool breeze carries the day’s heat away from […]
Mandatory Digital Privacy Labels: One Way to Protect Consumer Data
07.11.17
Ninety-one percent of Internet users feel they have “lost control” of their personal information, Pew Research Center found in a 2016 poll.[1] The exponential increase in the capacity of firms to collect, store, and analyze data raises significant privacy concerns. But the most significant challenge for policy makers is not the risk that personal data […]