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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Elevating Trash Talk: Addressing Jakarta’s Organic Waste Problem
04.15.20
Every year, we throw away about one-third of the world’s food. This is the equivalent of USD 936 billion, more than the Netherlands’ entire GDP.1 Most of this food is dumped in landfills where it decomposes and produces greenhouse gases (GHG). In 2010, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimated that about 3 percent […]

Digital Disparities in the Time of Coronavirus
04.10.20
The pandemic is revealing the severe inequities caused by our nation’s digital divide. It is crucial that we invest now to address them. Long before COVID-19 shut down physical campuses and banned in-person gatherings, my life as a graduate student relied heavily on the internet. Due to swift action taken by my school’s leadership, faculty […]

Coronavirus is not just a Global Crisis – it’s also a Women’s Issue
04.3.20
The conversation about coronavirus covers the impact on the economy and healthcare system. What is absent from this conversation is the impact on those most burdened by COVID-19’s global disruption – women. Coronavirus coverage is starting to feel like a wall of noise – a hum of threat, change, and fear that is hard to […]

A Look Back at Super Tuesday: Harvard Kennedy School Students Discuss the 2020 Primaries
04.1.20
Before all the changes regarding the coronavirus pandemic, Super Tuesday reset the Democratic Primary. Fifteen states hold their primaries on this date, and the results always set the tone of the race moving forward. Listening to this episode now will have a different flavor because of all the disruptions coronavirus has caused in our everyday […]

Politicians Are Taking Advantage of Anti-Chinese Sentiments for Electoral Purposes
03.26.20
China’s entanglement in the domestic politics of other countries has resulted in rising anti-Chinese sentiments, especially during times when countries hold elections. Given its timeliness, politicians have used people’s frustration with China’s exploitation of their nation as a talking point to gain electoral support. Anti-Chinese sentiments can be attributed to several factors that include investment, […]

The Iowa Caucus in Review: Where Should Technology Take Us From Here?
03.5.20
Two of our Kennedy School Review Podcast Team members describe their experiences observing and supporting the Iowa Caucus, discussing what the process was like, what went wrong, and what the role of technology should be in facilitating a more inclusive, participatory model of democracy. Listen Here!

Teaching Liberal Arts with Illiberal Partners: Reflections on Education Collaboration with China
03.5.20
The rise of China has led to a surge in partnerships between American and Chinese universities. These partnerships offer significant opportunities for American institutions – a potential pool of new students and the possibility of demonstrating the value of free inquiry and the liberal arts to a new audience in China. But they also present […]

Made in Somewhere Else: How Premature Deindustrialization Undermines the Development of Indonesia and other Emerging Economies
03.2.20
In its 1993 report, the World Bank classified Indonesia as one of the “Asian Miracles”[1]. Indonesia was on the track towards industrialization and development. It had begun to transition from agriculture and raw commodities to manufacturing. In 2000, Indonesia’s computer export was twice the value of its palm oil export[2]. Fast forward to today, and […]

From Prudence to Recklessness: Erdogan’s Risky Plays with International Law
02.28.20
Amidst abundant signs of turmoil and challenges in Turkey’s seemingly rudderless foreign policy, the country apparently needs a more diplomatic approach and legal expertise in international law rather than aggressive military posture in its immediate vicinity. As Turkey lurches into one crisis after another in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea, the prudent invocation […]

Organizing for power: the new labor movement and big politics in 2020
02.27.20
Francis Garcia walked into work at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas one morning in late 2007. A migrant from Honduras, Garcia had crossed through Mexico after Hurricane Mitch devastated her country, leaving almost one million Hondurans homeless. She joined the Grand as a housekeeper earning $14.50 an hour; far more than she could expect […]

F-35s Are Not A Magic Weapon: Why Taiwan Should Admit Conventional Military Defeat To Defend Its Sovereignty
02.25.20
Time is running out for Taiwan. Under the leadership of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Chairman Xi Jinping, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has been increasingly aggressive in both poaching Taiwan’s few remaining diplomatic allies and using the growing proficiency of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) for messaging the inevitable: reunification with the mainland.[i] Xi […]

Taming Tech Giants Requires Fixing the Revolving Door
02.18.20
Public opinion of big tech is at an all-time low. Just a few years ago, many viewed Silicon Valley as holding the promise to a better world, whereas today its largest companies generate levels of public distrust usually reserved for investment banks. This is good news for those hoping to see public policy in the […]