harvard institute of politics newsletter

institute of politics A

culVeR scHolARsHip iop announces new scholarship, named after longtime ally senator John c. culver, supporting students across the country pursuing graduate studies at Harvard Kennedy school.

new John c. culver scholarship • Digital Media and strategy expansion • careers and internships • iop Alumni • spring Resident and Visiting fellows • spring John f. Kennedy Jr. forum events • new Millennials and politics poll • civic Health Report • spring photos • professional updates from iop on the Move

July 2013

1 institute of politics

We were also pleased to create a new scholarship opportunity for students across the country interested in pursuing graduate studies at Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) in public service, named after longtime IOP ally and former U.S. Senator John C. Culver. Beginning in the fall of 2014, the John C. Culver Institute of Politics Scholarship will be awarded annually to students active at the IOP or at National Campaign schools and provide full tuition for two years toward a graduate degree at HKS. Senator Culver’s invaluable counsel has improved our programming, ensured we achieve our mission and inspired countless students to consider public service careers for nearly four decades. We are very proud to o!er this scholarship in his name.

Our spring semester also featured well-attended and exciting Forums, fantastic and engaged Resident and Visiting Fellows and strong interest in our latest national poll exploring the political views of America’s 18- to 29- year-olds, the Millennial generation. We are enjoying working with our students and Harvard colleagues to inspire tomorrow’s generation to serve. I hope to see you this fall. "anks again for your interest in the IOP.

Although we have left the frenetic atmosphere of the 2012 election cycle behind, 2013 has brought plenty of activity, excitement and inspirational programming to the IOP.

"is semester, we created and implemented a new digital strategic plan to better promote public service work and generate more quality content for our web-site and other distribution channels. For example, our students formed a “Digital Brigade” to promote IOP content on social media – resulting in increased

views and interactions among undergraduates. We also launched a new blog in January, creating a “go-to” space for fresh written and digital content from our Fellows, students and guests on top issues and events. As a result, we are reaching more people on and o! campus than ever before.

Another positive improvement was integrating our internships and career services programs, positioning the Institute for a better approach in helping our undergraduates to pursue careers in politics and government. In addition to organizing career events based on specific areas of interest, we are now better utilizing our vast network of Director’s Internship host organizations to facilitate post-graduation employment opportunities for our undergraduates.

Welcome

Trey Grayson ’94

to tHe institute of politics

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.

Also, please follow us on YouTube, Twitter and Face-book at usernames HarvardIOP and JFKJrForum.

institute of politics 2

“It is fitting that this scholarship at Harvard Kennedy School bears the name of Senator John Culver, whose intelligence, integrity, and outstanding service to our nation are an inspiration,” said Institute of Politics Senior Advisory Committee Chair Caroline Kennedy. “Senator Culver’s vision, passion and energy have been invalu-able to my family through the years, and especially in helping to create a vibrant living memorial to President Kennedy at the Institute of Politics. He is a role model for anyone seeking public service careers and we hope that Culver Scholars will be motivated by his extraordinary example in the years to come.”

"e John C. Culver Institute of Politics Scholarship application process will open in the spring of 2014. Selec-tion will be based upon the candidate’s strong record of academic achievement, demonstrated commitment to politics and public service and proven leadership ability.

In early May, the Institute of Politics announced a new scholarship op-portunity for students across the country interested in pursuing graduate studies in public service. Beginning in 2014, the John C. Culver Institute of Politics Scholarship will be awarded annually and provide full tuition for two years toward a graduate degree at Harvard Kennedy School.

"e scholarship is named after John C. Culver, who has served on the IOP’s Senior Advisory Committee since 1975 – 14 years as Chairman – and now holds the committee post of Chair Emeritus. Culver also served as the Institute’s Interim Director from July 2010 until January 2011. Culver served five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democratic Representative from Iowa’s second district, winning his first election in 1964, and served one term in the U.S. Senate from 1975 until 1981. A former Infantry O#cer in the U.S. Marine Corps, Culver is a graduate of both Harvard College and Harvard Law School. Culver was the recipient of the Lionel de Jersey Harvard post-graduate scholarship to Emmanuel College, Cambridge University. Culver was inducted into the Harvard Football Hall of Fame in 1978 and is the co-author of American Dreamer: !e Life and Times of Henry A. Wallace.

Eligible applicants will include students active at the IOP or in public service programming at other participating organizations within the Institute’s National Campaign for Political and Civic Engagement, a consortium of twenty-four colleges and universities around the country committed to creating more politically and civically engaged campuses.

iop scholarshipneW scHolARsHip nAMeD AfteR JoHn culVeR

It has been a privilege to serve for many years on the Senior Advisory Committee of Harvard’s Institute of Politics, established in 1966 as a living memorial to President Kennedy,” said Institute of Politics Senior Advisory Committee Chairman Emeritus John C. Culver. “I am honored to be associated with this IOP scholarship initiative to support and en-courage public service.


In the fall of 2012, the Institute was proud to begin doing much more with technology and social media to achieve its mission of inspiring youth to consider careers in politics and public service. "is digital marketing work included a complete build-out of the Institute’s Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other social channels (at username @HarvardIOP) and using video – like three-question, three-minute “3 with IOP” interviews – to better leverage dozens of inspiring guests.

In January, the IOP built upon these e!orts and developed a digital com-munications plan and strategies to make its overall online communications and marketing e!orts more robust. Implementing this strategic plan and responding to new analytics reports, the Institute greatly increased its reach and e!ectiveness on social channels and boosted website visits by 40% over the past year. "e IOP was proud to have this work highlighted on the front page of the Harvard Crimson in February.

[Social media] amplifies the ability to share my expertise and my experiences with a broader group of students

– Karen Hughes, Spring 2013 IOP Resident Fellow

Digital communicationsiop eXpAnDs online stRAteGies

"e Institute’s new digital plan called for creation of a new blog, the “Educated Citizen” – named after President Kennedy’s iconic call for participation in public service – which has created a vibrant home for original written and digital content and a new space to highlight IOP people, students, events and research. "e blog is already a top-three destination for IOP website pageviews and recording an average time spent on blog pages of nearly three minutes (2:46) – 87% higher than the rest of the IOP website.

In addition, the Institute ramped up coordination this year with Harvard undergraduates to help aid digital communications e!orts. "e IOP created a new 30-person student group, the “Digital Brigade,” to help pro-mote the Institute’s blog and video content on students’ own social channels and grow IOP visibility on campus via peer-to-peer marketing. "e Institute’s most popular digital features have often starred students, including undergraduate-authored “Educated Citizen” pieces on politics (o!ering reactions to the 2013 State of the Union address), community service (describing student-led Hurricane Sandy relief e!orts) or in marketing videos pitch-ing the IOP to their peers and incoming freshmen.

The educated citizen has an obligation to serve the public. He may be a

precinct worker or President. He may give his talents at the court-

house, the State house, the White House. He may be a civil servant

or a Senator, a candidate or a campaign worker, a winner or a loser.

But he must be a participant and not a spectator.

In the spirit of John F. Kennedy, the “Educated Citizen” blog will be a place to encourage public service. As President Kennedy said in 1963 at Vanderbilt University...


[Social media] amplifies the ability to share my expertise and my experiences with a broader group of students

– Karen Hughes, Spring 2013 IOP Resident Fellow

ommunications

Creating over 40 new “3 with IOP” video interviews (featuring guests like those above) this semester helped the Institute continue to grow its brand as “the place” for political discussion and promote messages that public service is important. In eight months, the Institute’s video interviews and other digital assets have attracted 225 new YouTube subscribers, 145,000 YouTube views and 40,000 views on Harvard’s iTunes University channel.

"e Institute’s December video compilation, “A Call to Serve,” featured nearly a dozen top IOP guests (including Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick) on the importance of public service and has attracted nearly 1000 views. "ese and other IOP interviews and videos – available at www.youtube.com/HarvardIOP – have been covered as feature material by a number of local and national media and have often been shared and repurposed by Harvard University and Harvard Kennedy School and other schools around campus.


"e IOP also collaborated with several Harvard public service organizations and o#ces to o!er a dozen events and o#ce hours throughout the semester and create a January “Publicly Interested?” conference for undergraduates in-terested in exploring public interest careers after graduation. Hundreds of students gathered at the confer-ence to hear from professionals and alumni across multiple fields of public service, including a keynote address by U.S. Representative Joe Kennedy (MA-4, D). Internships and Career Services also expanded its weekly “Career Roundtable” discussions, o!ering over twenty-five well-attended events featuring young, successful public service practitioners to our undergradu-ate students. "e Institute is

confident that the Internships and Career Services o#ce restructuring and improvements are positioning the IOP to make an even stronger impact on Harvard undergradu-ates.

GoV 2.0 WinneR: colleGe connectUnderstanding the important role technology and innovation play in all aspects of society, govern-

ment and public service today, the Institute has o!ered Gov 2.0 grant program funding for the third straight year. Made possible by a generous gift to the Institute, the initiative supports student entrepreneurial ventures relating to domestic politics or government aiming to reshape civic life. "e IOP was pleased to select Harvard undergraduate Amy Je!rey ’15 (at left) as the 2013 Gov 2.0 grant winner. Je!rey will receive a $5,000 stipend to further develop her winning initiative College Connect, a website aiming to help public high school students navigate the confusing four-year college and financial aid applica-tion process.

inspiRinG stuDents to puBlic seRVice cAReeRs

"is spring, the Institute integrated its popular and successful Internships and Career Services programs and added Career Services Coordinator Sadie Polen, which has helped create even more networks and op-portunities that help accomplish the IOP’s mission of encouraging youth to consider working in politics and public service.

"e IOP was proud to see strong growth in applica-tion numbers and event attendance this year for all Internships and Career programming, as the Director’s Internship program, Summer "esis Grant, Gov 2.0 Grant, and Summer Stipend program all achieved

record interest levels due to targeted outreach to campus groups and the strong endorsements of former participants. Increasingly, IOP Summer internship opportunities are also directly leading to employment opportunities in careers serving the public. "rough weekly o#ce hours and targeted outreach to IOP seniors and former IOP Director’s Interns, the Intern-ships and Career Services o#ce successfully assisted Harvard seniors with job placements this spring. Sen-iors and IOP alumni continue to utilize the connec-tions and skills developed in their Institute internship experiences to help explore and secure jobs in politics and public service.

careers & internships


Since graduating from Harvard in 2010, Siri has worked for three years as a consultant for PA Consulting Group on life sciences and healthcare issues, a policy area where she feels she can make a di!erence. “Working as a pharmaceutical consultant has honed my interests and triggered a specific desire to reform the U.S. healthcare system to ensure universal access to cost-e!ective care that focuses on preserving health while minimizing the use of aggressive medical interven-tions,” she said. Siri is focused on the intersection between public policy and the private sector, and is excited to learn more about it as an incoming student at Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) in the fall as she begins a three-year joint

MPP/MBA degree at HKS and Harvard Business School. She calls HKS “…the ideal training ground to prepare me for the leadership, innovation and policy challenges I will face.”

In recognition of her commitment to public service and improving the lives of others, the Institute is pleased to announce Siri Uotila has been named the Institute’s 2013 IOP Alumni Scholarship winner in support of her work toward a Master in Public Policy degree. "e IOP Alumni Scholarship is a merit-based opportunity for students active as undergraduates with the Institute’s programming to receive financial support toward a graduate degree at HKS. As the Institute is dedicated to inspir-

ing students into a life of politics, public service and leadership, the scholarship furthers that mission by providing assistance to IOP alumni to enhance their educa-tional experience at HKS. Past recipients of the IOP’s Alumni Scholarship include Frankie Assaf ’10, Quinnie Lin ’08, Jay Lundy ’09, Meghan Haggerty ’06, Emily Nielson ’04 and Eli Rosenbaum ’05.

I am deeply grateful to the IOP for its phenomenal support of my long-term goal of transforming the way U.S. healthcare is delivered, consumed, and paid for as an elected politician or an unelected policymaker.

As an undergraduate, Siri Uotila ’10 found a home at the Institute of Politics through the IOP’s Women’s Initiative in Leadership program, where she enjoyed engaging with successful female professionals on what it takes to make an impact in public service and the private sector. Siri also enjoyed participating in IOP Fellows’ study groups, where she “…found several inspirational (female) mentors – especially Maralee Schwartz, Teresa Vilmain, and Peggy Noonan – who demonstrated the wide range of ways in which one can serve.”

Alumni scholarshipsiRi uotilA ’10 nAMeD 2013 WinneR

Perhaps the most important IOP experience Siri enjoyed was working as a Summer 2009 Director’s Intern for Jane Cambell, Spring 2006 IOP Fellow and then Chief of Sta! to U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA). "e internship experience “…allowed me to understand governing firsthand and to develop a profound respect for all the dedicated, well-intentioned public servants working in our Congress,” she said.


"e IOP’s spring Fellows kept Harvard’s campus buzzing all semester long. Spring Fellows’ not-for-credit study groups covered interesting political and issue-based topics that appealed to students, faculty and the general public, including: a deep dive into the 2012 election results; the importance of China/U.S. relations; civil and civic engagement; social policy and political entrepreneurship; the art of political communications and the inter-section of politics and policy and the future of the GOP.

Spring study groups aimed to leverage the excitement about politics generated by the enormity of the 2012 election cycle – and explore what issues the American electorate will be focusing on now and into the future. Outside of their successful discussion sessions at the IOP, spring Fellows were frequently called upon as guest speakers at dozens of events throughout Harvard College, Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), other Harvard graduate schools and the entire university community. Fellows also were willing participants in the IOP’s Civics program, eager volunteers at Boston non-profit Cradles to Crayons, served as guest lecturers in HKS public policy classes and met with dozens of graduate and undergraduate student organizations.

In addition, the Institute was proud to host three visiting fellows this spring. CNN Chief National Correspond-ent John King came to Harvard for several weeks throughout the spring semester and was a popular draw for his discussions on the evolving American electorate. Former U.S. Ambassador to China (2009-11) Jon Huntsman appeared at the IOP in early April and attracted a strong audience at any event in which he was featured. Later in the month, former U.S. Senator (1987-93) and U.S. Representative (1975-87) Tim Wirth – who served as a joint Visiting Fellow with the IOP and HKS’ Belfer Center for Science and International A!airs – captivated undergraduates on a number of key issues including safeguarding the environment.

political Analyst, editor and publisher, The Cook Political Report; columnist, National Journal magazine

Worldwide Vice chair, Burson-Marsteller; under secretary of state for public Diplomacy and public Affairs (2005-07) and counselor to president George W. Bush (2001-02)

presidential inaugural com-mittee chief executive officer and co-chair (2013) and chief of staff (2009); ceo, 2012 Democratic national convention committee

CHARLIE COOK KAREN HUGHES STEVE KERRIGAN

ResiDent AnD VisitinG felloWs cAptiVA

spring


former Deputy chief of staff to u.s. House of Representa-tives Majority leader eric can-tor; founder and president of the YG Action fund super pAc and the YG network, a center-right policy advocacy 501(c)4

former Governor (2009-13) and lieutenant Governor (2001-09) of north carolina

china correspondent, Beijing, china Bureau (2009-13), Bu-reau chief, new York Bureau (2007-09) and foreign editor (2005-07) The Washington Post

Just some of the Fellows’ popular guests appearing in weekly discussion groups included Kristen Soltis An-derson, Republican pollster and strategist; Je! Bader, senior fellow, Brookings Institution (via Skype); Joel Benenson, lead pollster, Obama for America; Eric Cantor, majority leader, U.S. House of Representatives; Dean Cheng, research fellow, Heritage Foundation; Torie Clarke, former assistant secretary of defense for public a!airs and member, IOP Senior Advisory Committee; Jennifer Du!y, senior editor, Cook Political Report; Eric Fehrnstrom, senior campaign advisor, Romney for President; Jim Glassman, founding executive director, George W. Bush Institute; Alan Khazei, co-founder, City Year and Fall 2006 IOP Resident Fellow; Barbara Lee, founder and president, Barbara Lee Family Foundation; Kevin McCarthy, majority whip, U.S. House of Representatives; Richard McGregor, author; Jonathan Martin, senior political reporter, POLITICO; Marty Meehan, former U.S. Representative from Massachusetts; Patrick O’Connor, congress reporter, Wall Street Journal; Jen O’Malley, deputy campaign manager, Obama for America; Maggie Omero, Democratic strategist; Sherry Rehman, Pakistan ambassador to the U.S.; Jim Rogers, CEO, Duke Energy; Michael Shields, chief of sta!, Republican National Committee; Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. secretary of health and human services and Spring 2007 IOP Visiting Fellow; Shira Toeplitz, politics editor, Roll Call; and Je! Zeleny, senior Washington correspondent, ABC News. Numerous Resident and Visiting Fellows also appeared in the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum throughout the semes-ter: Karen Hughes and John Murray (“"e Future of the Republican Party”); John King (“A Conversation with David Keene”), and Jon Huntsman and Keith Richburg (“China Rising” with former Austrailian prime minister Kevin Rudd).

JOHN MURRAY BEV PERDUE KEITH RICHBURG

ptiVAte HARVARD’s cAMpus

fellows


politics After the buzz of the 2012 election cycle, current and former IOP Resi-dent Fellows (Karen Hughes and John Murray, Spring 2013; Ron Christie, Fall 2011; Kerry Healey, Spring 2007) kicked o! February John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum events with IOP Director Trey Grayson and CNN contributor Ana Navarro for a frank discussion on “"e Future of the Republican Party” (see photo bottom right). U.S. House of Representatives majority leader Eric Cantor spoke to a capac-ity Mar. 11 Forum audience on top legislative challenges. Former speechwriting director for President Obama Jon Favreau addressed “"e Language and Legacy of Presiden-tial Speechwriting” on Mar. 27. April Forum events included the 2013 HKS Black Policy Conference keynote address by U.S. Represent-ative Elijah Cummings (D-MD, 7) and a powerful discussion on the U.S. role in the world entitled “Presidential Leadership and the

Rise of American Power.”

Just days after the tragic events at the Boston Marathon, the Forum convened “Boston Marathon Trage-dy & Aftermath” on Apr. 24 featur-ing key players in the e!ort to keep citizens safe and informed. Harvard Kennedy School Dean David Ellwood moderated a moving dis-cussion on the marathon attack, law enforcement’s coordinated response and strategy and the subsequent manhunt for the bombing suspects. Panelists included Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis (see above), Harvard Divinity School dean David Hempton, Boston Globe columnist, IOP alum ’91 and HKS lecturer Juliette Kayyem, Massa-chusetts Emergency Management Agency director Kurt Schwartz and WBZ-TV anchor David Wade, who also appeared in a “3 with IOP” video interview.

The Boston Marathon is very personal to us...This is our city. These are our streets. I grew up here. – WBZ-TV News Anchor David Wade

JfK Jr.

Boston MARAtHon tRAGeDY

spRinG seMesteR eXploRes top DoMestic, inteR


Hot-Button issues A Feb. 12 John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum screening and discussion on a new documentary, !e House I Live In examined the U.S. war on drugs. IOP Spring 2013 Visiting Fellow and CNN chief national correspondent John King moderat-ed a Feb. 20 conversation with Na-tional Rifle Association president and IOP Fall 1976 Resident Fellow David Keene on the current gun control debate (see photo previous page). New York Times op-ed col-umnist Nicholas Kristof accepted the 2013 Goldsmith Career Award for Excellence in Journalism in the Forum on Mar. 5 and explored the current state of the field. On Apr. 2, Fall 2012 IOP Fellow John Carr helped guide an insightful look at “Pope Francis: Does a New Pope Mean Change?” Award-winning broadcast journalist Soledad O’Brien engaged with WGBH radio host and IOP Spring 2002 Resident Fellow Callie Crossley on May 3 on race in America (photo top right).

foReiGn policY A Jan. 15 Forum event, “"e Tipping Point: Elevating Women for Global Security,” was moder-ated by HKS Eleanor Roosevelt Lecturer of Public Policy Swanee Hunt and featured women activists from six countries. A late February Forum headlined by Fall 2010 IOP Fellow and former Haiti prime

minister Michele Pierre-Louis and actor Sean Penn discussed “Haiti Progress and Challenges "ree Years Later” (see photo bottom right). In early April, former U.S. Ambassador to China and IOP Spring 2013 Visiting Fellow Jon Huntsman joined IOP Spring 2013 Resident Fellow Keith Richburg to look at China and its global economic role. Fall 2007 IOP Resident Fellow and HKS Jeanne Kirkpatrick Professor of the Practice of International A!airs Meghan O’Sullivan moderated an Apr. 18 discussion: “A Decade in Iraq: Lessons and the Landscape Ahead.” inteRnAtionAl leADeRsTop international figures were frequent visitors this spring, including Pakistan Ambassador to the U.S. Sherry Rehman (Feb. 19), President of Senegal Macky Sall (Mar. 8 - photo at right) and former Mexican President and HKS Angelopoulos Global Public Leaders Fellow Felipe Calderon (April 25).

DoMestic cHAllenGes "e Forum also examined honor-ing those who serve our country (“Ask What You Can Do For America’s Veterans,” Mar. 11), public/private sector intersections (“Is America Working? What Busi-ness and Government Can Do,”

Apr. 8) and safeguarding the U.S. (“Turning the Corner: Strategic and Budgetary Choices for U.S. Defense,” Apr. 23).

forumspRinG seMesteR eXploRes top DoMestic, inteRnAtionAl AnD Hot-Button issues


spring HighlightsspectAculAR speAKeRs AnD eVents MARK inspiRinG seMesteR

(Clockwise from top) Undergraduates get career advice from Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) students in a March Women’s Initiative in Leadership event; summer 2013 Director’s Interns gather with IOP Director Trey Grayson and sta! in May; former Mexican President and HKS Angelopoulos Global Public Leaders Fellow Felipe Calderon talks with HKS Dean David Ellwood in the Forum on Apr. 25; former U.S. Ambassador to China and Spring 2013 Visiting Fellow Jon Huntsman joined Spring 2013 Resident Fellow Keith Richburg in an April Forum on China and its global role; New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof keynotes the 2013 Goldsmith Awards ceremony in the Forum on Mar. 5; SmartPower president Brian Keane spoke to students about environmental policy careers during a January career roundta-ble; Spring 2013 Resident Fellow Bev Purdue thanks her student liaisons during an April “Fellows Farewell” event.


spectAculAR speAKeRs AnD eVents MARK inspiRinG seMesteR

(Row 1, L to R): Students from the University of Louisville’s McConnell Center, part of the Institute’s National Cam-paign for Political and Civic Engagement, pose with IOP Director Trey Grayson during the Campaign’s April conference; Pakistan’s Ambassador to the U.S. Sherry Rehman engages with undergraduates prior to her Feb. 19 Forum address; (Row 2, L to R): U.S. House of Representatives majority leader Eric Cantor addressed a packed Forum crowd on Mar. 11 on education reform and other pressing challenges for our nation; rising junior Tope Agabalogun describes his research project on the U.S. criminal justice system and minority communities during an early May IOP student policy group program presentation event for IOP leadership; Fall 2012 IOP Fellow John Carr helped guide an insightful look at: “Pope Francis: Does a New Pope Mean Change?” in an Apr. 2 Forum event that included HKS "ornton Bradshaw professor of public policy and management Mary Jo Bane (pictured) as well as HKS professor of the practice of religion and public life Father J. Bryan Hehir and Washington Post political reporter and Spring 2013 Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy Fellow Melinda Henneberger; (Row 3, L to R): IOP Harvard Public Opinion Project chair Eva Guidarini discussed results from their spring 2013 national poll of the political beliefs of the Millennial generation – 18- to 29- year-olds – in a video interview with the New York Times, which exclusively released the data on Apr. 30; Spring 2013 Resident Fellow Steve Kerrigan poses with student liaisons for his 2013 study group “Civil and Civic Engagement: Building Better Communities”; U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings keynoted the 2013 HKS Black Policy Conference in the Forum on Apr. 5.


"e IOP survey team exclusively released results from their new spring poll with the New York Times, which featured the data in a video segment, an online story and feature in its April 30 print edition. "e Institute also conducted a press briefing via conference call with members of the press – help-ing generate strong coverage throughout national media – and was pleased to see Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus prominently cite the poll’s data in his May 9 op-ed contribution to the popular public policy opinion website PolicyMic.

“With the hard choices that all of us need to make, it is more important than ever that young Americans are able to connect with and trust elected o#cials and public institutions,” said IOP Director Trey Grayson. “To ensure progress, our leaders in government need to set a positive tone and work together to show young people that Washington can again deliver results.”

iop surveyinstitute ReleAses suRVeY pRoJect’s 23rd poll

Obama Job Approval Steady, as Partisanship Among Millennials Deepens. Several months after a successful re-election campaign and during the initial phase of his second term, a slight majority (52%) of 18- to 29- year-olds in America in April said they ap-proved of the job Barack Obama is doing as President (46%: disapprove) – the same approval percentage noted six months and also one year prior in IOP poll-ing. While the top-line indicators of approval have not changed, a look below the surface revealed that 18- to 29- year-olds are now the most divided when it comes to the opinion of this President. Since No-vember 2009, IOP polling has tracked how members

of each party rate President Obama’s job performance eight times, and the di!erence between the way that Democrats and Republicans view the President has never been more dramatic than in the last six months. For example, 85 percent of Democrats said they ap-proved of his job performance, while only 11 percent of Republicans felt the same, resulting in a net di!er-ence of 74 percentage points. When the same ques-tion was asked one year ago, the di!erence between Democrats and Republicans was 63 percentage points; in November 2009 during the health care debate, the divide was 65 percentage points.

At no time have young Democrats and Republicans been more divided on President Obama’s job performance: 85 percent of Democrats say they approve of the job the President is doing while only 11 percent of Republicans say the same.

“On issues ranging from their views of the President to immigration to gun control to the role government should play in improving our economy, both Democrats and Republicans are hardening their positions, while Independent-minded voters are tuning out,” said IOP Polling Director John Della Volpe. “Nearly half of all Americans under 30 believe that the politics of today are not able to meet the challenges our country is facing. We have been warned.”


iop surveyinstitute ReleAses suRVeY pRoJect’s 23rd poll

Nearly One-Half Favor Stricter Gun Control Laws, Approximately One-!ird Believe Laws Should Be Kept As !ey Are. Recent tragedies in Newtown, CT and Aurora, CO have brought gun control to the forefront of public discourse. Although the IOP’s April poll showed a plurality of 18- to 29- year-olds supported greater restrictions on guns, the proportion is lower than that seen throughout the entire adult population. Nearly a majority, 49 percent, sup-ported making gun laws more strict, while 35 percent believed gun laws should be kept as they are with 15 percent of 18- to 29- year-olds saying they prefer less strict gun laws. For comparison, a January 2013 CBS/New York Times poll showed overall adult support for stricter gun laws at 54 percent, five percentage points higher than found in the IOP’s April poll. In addition, recent gun-related tragedies and resulting public discussion also do not appear to have strongly increased youth support for stricter gun laws. CBS/New York Times polling found a greater increase (8%) in support for stricter gun control laws over the past two years (54%: Jan. 2013; 46%: Jan. 2011) than IOP polling found (3%) over the same time period (49%: Apr. 2013; 46%: Feb. 2011).

Majority of Young Millennials Disapprove of the Way President Obama is Handling “Gun Violence.” Although a majority of Millennials said they approved of President Obama’s job performance overall (52%), less than half (42%) of America’s 18- to 29- year-olds said they approved of the way he is handling “gun vio-lence” with a majority (56%) saying they disapproved. "e only issue with a higher disapproval rating among the five tested in the IOP’s April poll was the Presi-dent’s handling of the federal budget deficit (62%). "e IOP’s latest poll was conducted before the spring failure of gun control legislation in the U.S. Senate, reflecting disapproval with President Obama’s propos-als more than with legislative results in Congress.

Millennials Split on View of the NRA; Nearly One-in-Five Own a Firearm. "e IOP’s April poll showed America’s 18- to 29- year-olds have a mixed opinion of the National Rifle Association, a strong opponent of President Obama’s gun control proposals. 38% ex-pressed either somewhat or very favorable (13% very favorable, 25% somewhat favorable) attitudes

toward the NRA, with equal numbers expressing un-favorable attitudes (20% somewhat unfavorable, 18% very unfavorable).

Republicans in Congress see Slight Job Performance Improvement, Democrats Locked in Place. Among Millennials, the job performance ratings of Demo-crats in Congress over the past six months decreased within the margin of error from 41% (Oct. 2012) to 40% (Apr. 2013), while approval of Republicans in Congress increased four percentage points from 23% (Oct. 2012) to 27% (Apr. 2013) over the same time period. Disapproval ratings for Congress also remain largely unchanged from October 2012 polling: 58% of America’s 18- to 29- year-olds still said that they disapproved of the way that Democrats in Congress are doing their job (58%: Oct. 2012) and 71 percent said the same today about Republicans in Congress (72%: Oct. 2012).

Complete results, are available – along with past sur-veys – online at www.iop.harvard.edu/survey.

The KnowledgePanel® survey of 3,103 18- to 29- year-old U.S. citizens with a margin of error of +/– 1.7 percentage points (95% confidence level) was con-ducted with the Government and Academic Research team of GfK for the IOP between March 20 to April 8, 2013.


Key Findings • Millennials represent a potent civic and political force—comprising a na-tional voting bloc of 21.3% of eligible voters who are playing a critical role in our democracy and driving com-munity action nationwide;

• Education is strongly connected to civic engage-ment—some indicators show a college graduate is four or five times more likely to engage as someone with-out a high school diploma;

• Millennials are hard hit by the economic crisis—62.9% are currently working, of which 31.2% work on a part-time basis—with po-tential implications for civic engagement;

• While engagement typi-cally increases with age, 22- to 25-year-olds have lower levels of social cohesion and volunteerism than older or younger peers. And, while education predicts most forms of engagement, young people without a college education are more likely to help their neighbors on a regular basis.

After studying the political and civic beliefs of America’s young adults for twelve years, we

know they care about their communities – and their country. Working to better understand and

engage with 18- to 29- year-olds – the Millen-nial generation – is not only critical to ensuring

a healthy democracy and citizenry, but also imperative for today’s political campaigns look-

ing to appeal to this key demographic.

– Institute of Politics Director Trey Grayson

civic HealthneW iop RepoRt eXAMines MillenniAl ciVic enGAGeMent

In early February, the Institute teamed up with the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC), "e Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University’s Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, and Mobilize.org to produce the Millennials Civic Health Index, a research product exploring the beliefs and political and civic involvement of America’s 18- to 29- year-olds.

"e study not only challenged commonly held beliefs about a generation of young Americans whose votes played a critical role in November’s presidential election, but also highlighted the diverse ways in which Millennials are taking action in their communities beyond the voting booth, online and o$ine, across di!erent regions of the United States.

"e report’s findings were covered by a number of media including C-SPAN, the Christian Science Monitor, and the Washington Examiner. "e full study -- with numerous additional findings such as the civic consequences of educa-tion; ways, types and rates of civic engagement; and beliefs and opinions about pressing issues and elected leaders -- can all be found at http://www.ncoc.net/MillennialsCHI.


news BriefsAluMni eXpeRts; spRinG “BReAK”; citiZensHip tutoRinG

iop oRGAniZes stuDent spRinG BReAK WoRK foR sAnDY Relief "is spring, the Institute of Politics organized an Alter-native Spring Break for students (at right) who wanted to spend their break giving back – and travel to New Jersey to volunteer with Helping Hands of New Jersey and rebuild homes devastated by Hurricane Sandy. Student volunteer Amy Weiss-Meyer ’15 said nonprofits like Helping Hands eager to make a di!erence are par-ticularly inspiring, as they are a great illustration “...of how private citizens—politically oriented or not—can become true public servants just by doing.”

citiZensHip tutoRinG pRoGRAM HelpinG otHeRs AcHieVe tHeiR DReAMs "e Citizenship Tutoring Program, a joint project between the Institute of Politics and Harvard’s Bridge to Learning and Literacy facilitating the pairing of Harvard undergraduates with Harvard employees preparing for the U.S. Citizenship exam, honored the achievements of the newest 26 Harvard employees to receive their U.S. citizenship this spring. Harvard University President Drew Faust (above) joined Institute director Trey Grayson to pay tribute to the new citizens and their families at a touching April dinner event. "e IOP also facilitated a rewarding spring dinner discussion for undergraduate tutors with U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren’s (D-MA) im-migration policy expert, Emily Winterson.

iop stuDent AluM lenDinG eXpeRtise in tRAGeDY Former IOP Student Advisory Committee member Juliette Kayyem ’91(at right) has been an engaged alum, frequently returning to the IOP over the years to inspire students and discuss her extensive work in counterter-rorism, homeland security and emergency management during a number of IOP events and discussions. But an Apr. 24 John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum discussion on the tragic events during the 2013 Boston Marathon drew most heavily on her advanced security experience —gained while formerly serving as assistant secretary for intergovernmental a!airs for the Department of Home-land Security under President Obama and a homeland security advisor for Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. Now a Boston Globe columnist and Harvard Kennedy School lecturer, Kayyem participated in the April panel discussion, authored several Globe columns and appeared on CNN on the aftermath and security implications of the bombing.


iop on the MovepRofessionAl upDAtes on iop AluMni

Caroline Adler (SAC 2004) is now serving as the deputy communications director for First Lady Michelle Obama.

Mark Beatty (SAC 2006) is now a founding partner of 270 Strategies.

Danny Bicknell (SAC 2013) will be working as a researcher at Marstel-Day, LLC.

Kenzie Bok (SAC 2011) has completed her tenure as a Marshall scholar and is working to complete her PhD in history at Cambridge University.

Alvin Bragg (SAC 1996) is serving as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Sylvia Mathews Burwell (SAC 1987; Spring 2001 Visiting Fellow) is now serving as the director of the O#ce of Management and Budget.

Jane Campbell (Spring 2006 Fellow) is now working as the sta! director for the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business.

Michael Camunez (SAC 1991) is serving as the assistant secretary of commerce for market access and compliance at the U.S. Depart-ment of Commerce’s International Trade Administration.

Andrei Cherny (SAC 1997) has returned to Democracy: A Journal of Ideas as its President.

Callie Crossley (Spring 2002 Fellow) has been named a recipient of the 2013 Wellesley College Alumnae Achievement Award.

Christina Davis (SAC 1993) is teaching as an assistant professor of politics and international relations at Princeton University.

Tad Devine (Fall 2011 Fellow) is serving as a senior advisor to Boston, MA mayoral candidate Rob Consalvo.

Sophie Fry (SAC 2013) will be joining Promontory, a risk management, regulatory and compliance consulting firm working within the financial services industry.

James Glassman (SAC 1969) is serving as the founding executive director of the George W. Bush Institute.

Joe Green (SAC 2005) is the founder and president of the new political advocacy group FWD.us.

Jyoti Jasrasaria (SAC 2012) is now working as a confidential assistant to U.S. Trade Representative Miriam Sapiro.


Juliette Kayyem (SAC 1991) received a finalist nomination for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize in com-mentary for her work at the Boston Globe. Steve Kerrigan (Spring 2013 Fellow) is running for Lt. Governor of Massachusetts.

Julia Konrad (SAC 2013) will begin pursuit of a master’s degree in Education at Vanderbuilt University in the fall.

Jonathan Koppell (SAC 1993) is the director of the school of public a!airs at Arizona State University.

Jim Leach (IOP Director 2007-08) is joining the University of Iowa faculty as a visiting law professor and the University’s chair in public a!airs.

Will Leiter (SAC 2010) is now working as a digital strategist and researcher at FWD.us.

Jack Lew (SAC 1978) is serving as the U.S. Treasury Secretary.

Michael Passante (SAC 2000) is now working as the New Jersey state director of President Obama’s Hurricane Sandy Task Force.

Keith Richburg (Spring 2013 Fellow) will begin service as a lecturer in the council of the humanities and a Ferris professor of journalism at Princeton University in the Spring of 2014.

Ariella Roteburg (IOP 2013) will be attending Cambridge University this fall focusing on international development studies.

Margaret Spellings (Fall 2010 Fellow) has been named president of the George W. Bush Foundation e!ective September 3, 2013.

George "ampy (SAC 2010) is serving as an associate with Concentric Equity Partners in Chicago, IL.

Jenny Ye (SAC 2013) is now serving as a data news team producer for New York Public Radio (WNYC).


Institute of Politics Staff Director

trey GraysonExecutive Directorcatherine MclaughlinDirector of the Fellows & Study Groups Programeric AndersenJohn F. Kennedy Jr. Forum AssistantMeredith Blake Staff AssistantKerri collinsWebsite Communications CoordinatorKatherine Delaney

Director of PollingJohn Della VolpeJohn F. Kennedy Jr. Forum Directorcarrie DevineDirector of Conferences & Special Projectschristian flynnDirector of Internships and Career ServicesAmy HowellInternships and Career Services Assistant casey o’neillJohn F. Kennedy Jr. Forum Coordinatorcathey parkDirector of Communicationsesten perezInternships and Career Services Coordinatorsadie polenSocial Media CoordinatorKellie RyanExecutive Assistant to the DirectorJulie schroederDirector of National Youth Engagementlaura simolarisDirector of Financetheresa Verbic Email any member of the IOP at [email protected] PHOTO CREDITS: Jay Connor: page 12 (8)Tom Fitzsimmons: page 4 (bottom row, 1), page 9 (bottom two photos), page 10 (1, 4), page 12 (2, 4)Martha Stewart: cover, pages 1, 2, 7, 8, page 9 (top photo), page 11 (2, 4, 5), page 12 (1, 3, 7), page 16 (1), page 17, page 18 (2)Kristyn Ulanday: page 11 (3), page 12 (5)

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