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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Space Technology Trends and Implications for National Security
01.24.16
BY JESSE HAMPTON This piece appeared in our 2015 print journal. You can order your copy here. The democratization of space is already underway. The 21st century is witnessing a rapid acceleration in both the development of space and satellite technology and the availability of this technology to countries, corporations, and individuals. Advances in technology allow […]
The Fed’s Unwarranted Optimism about 2016
01.6.16
BY KAVI PATEL Backed by a 10-0 vote at the December 2015 Federal Open Market Committee Policy meeting, the Federal Reserve decided to increase the target Federal Funds interest rates by .25 percent for the first time since 2006. Chair Janet Yellen reaffirmed her confidence in the U.S. economy in a press conference that followed, and […]
This Engagement Season, Let’s Make it Easier for Women to Keep their Last Names
12.30.15
BY CAROLINE GIMMILLARO It’s engagement season. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter feeds around the United States are exploding with engagement announcements and offers of congratulations. A deluge of engagement pictures, engagement party invites, and Pinterest wedding boards are sure to follow. For most American women in heterosexual relationships, this excitement will be accompanied by the question […]
Michigan’s Water Problems Should Be a Wake-up Call to America
12.19.15
BY WILL EBERLE When the water started turning brownish-black, residents of Flint, Michigan knew they had a problem. But it would take months before they learned the truth; a truth which should serve as a wake-up call to communities across America. And just this week, Flint’s newly-elected mayor Karen Weaver declared a state of emergency […]
Beyond the Paris Agreement: COP21’s Greatest Victories
12.18.15
BY JOELLE THOMAS “I see no objections. The Paris Agreement for the climate is adopted.” A decidedly stoic Laurent Fabius—President of the COP21 talks—brings down his leaf-shaped gavel. The room erupts in cheering, as exhausted and emotional negotiators from 196 countries take to their feet. Al Gore is beaming. The cries echo along Le Bourget’s […]
We Are Donald Trump
12.15.15
BY RYAN COHEN Playing on the fears that President Obama decried in his public address earlier this month, Donald Trump proposed that the United States bar Muslims from entry, including re-entry of Muslim U.S. citizens traveling abroad. It’s easy to deride this proposal as intolerant, unconstitutional, and abhorrent, as many have done. What’s more difficult—and […]
Does Immigration Help or Harm? An Interview with the Nation’s Leading Immigration Economist
12.14.15
BY DANIEL TOSTADO George Borjas, the nation’s leading immigration economist according the Wall Street Journal, is currently an economics professor at Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Originating from Cuba, Borjas fled Havana at age 12 with his mother in 1962 on a plane to Miami. Professor Borjas is well known for promoting a policy the […]
Key Questions About Our Future Are Hidden in Congressional Budget Debates
12.8.15
BY JASON PEUQUET With all the rancor in the past few years about government shutdowns, debt ceilings, special budget commissions or committees, and fiscal cliffs, it is easy to think that U.S. budget policy is more about theatrical clashes of personality, and kicking the can down the road than about actual public policymaking. And it […]
Should We Genetically Modify Our Children?
12.7.15
BY JESSICA CUSSINS Now that we have the power to permanently alter humanity, should we? This was the question at the heart of the International Summit on Human Gene Editing in Washington, D.C., last week, an event co-hosted by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and of Medicine, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the […]
Women Benefit Most When Men Take Paternity Leave
12.4.15
BY LAUREN WINDMEYER Last month, Mark Zuckerberg announced that he would take two months paternity leave following the birth of his first child. This announcement exemplifies a trend in the tech world towards improved benefits for new parents – this year alone, Amazon, Netflix, and Microsoft have all announced extended parental leave. This is of […]
Is COP21 Set Up for Failure?
12.2.15
BY JOELLE THOMAS As the leaders of the world gather this week to discuss the climate, two dark clouds hang over the Paris skies. The first is the recent, palpable memory of terrorist attacks. The second is a more distant but tangible memory of a climate negotiation gone awry: Copenhagen. When world leaders gathered for […]
This Thanksgiving, Demand Fair Food
11.25.15
BY CAITLIN RYAN The scene is familiar. Fresh snow coats your grandparents’ front lawn. The smell of turkey permeates. Your aunt beams as she collects obligatory compliments that her stuffing, once again, is a hit. Finally, your family members find a place at the table and your grandfather asks each of you to name something […]