Featured Series

Through diverse programming and events, the Institute of Politics aims to encourage a passion for, and appreciation of, politics and public service. The events offered in our Featured Series are designed to foster meaningful dialogue across perspectives, and equip students with the insight, experience, and connections needed for political leadership in the United States and around the globe.

Learn about our Featured Series offerings below.

The Consent of the Governed: America at 250 and Beyond

On July 4, 2026, the United States will celebrate its semiquincentennial – the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In honor of this milestone, the Harvard Kennedy School announced The Consent of the Governed: America at 250 and Beyond – a series of conversations exploring the past, present, and future of the American experiment.

The series, moderated by Jill Lepore and hosted by the Institute of Politics, will bring together a wide range of leaders in politics, culture, academia, technology, and journalism to discuss the core questions and challenges facing America as it celebrates its 250th anniversary. Among others, participants will include Pete Buttigieg, former Secretary of Transportation and IOP student president; Drew Gilpin Faust, 28th President of Harvard University and Arthur Kingsley Porter University Research Professor; Eddie Glaude, political commentator and Princeton University James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor; Bill McKibben, award-winning environmentalist and author; and Mitt Romney, former U.S. Senator, Governor of Massachusetts, and Republican nominee for President.

In a moment of uncertainty and change in the country, Professor Lepore and our distinguished guests will focus on themes of enduring and emerging importance to the American experiment, including:

• The forces of polarization, union, and disunion in American history and contemporary politics
• The origins, evolution, and future of American constitutionalism, the separation of powers, and the rule of law
• The importance of a well-informed citizenry to the health of a constitutional democracy
• The ways that government decision-making, environmental stewardship, and rapidly advancing technologies will intersect to shape America’s collective future

Debate, Debrief, and Dessert

Debate, Debrief, and Dessert, a new pilot series of events under the Harvard Kennedy School's Candid & Constructive Conversations Initiative, convenes conversations between Harvard faculty and invited guests who come at an issue from differing points of view. Following each conversation, Professor Julia Minson or Professor Erica Chenoweth, the current and former leaders of CCC, will lead audience members in a facilitated workshop focused on how the discussion's participants engaged constructively—or not—around points of disagreement, in order to build audience-members’ skills related to active listening, compassionate speaking, productive question formulation, and engaging with curiosity. And we’ll feed everyone dessert!

The discussions in this series are called “debates,” with the hope that they will surface meaningful points of disagreement. These are not competitions: we’re not judging participants and declaring a winner. Our goal is rather to educate our audience, illuminate different perspectives on difficult public policy issues, and illustrate how leaders and experts can engage with one another with evidence, conviction, and respect.