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 celebrated 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 Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and professor, 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. The series has featured the following sessions:

Spring 2026:

• America at 250 and Beyond: Union and Disunion – a discussion with Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Secretary of Transportation; Drew Gilpin Faust, President Emerita, Harvard University; and Eddie Glaude, Distinguished University Professor, Princeton University. 
• America at 250 and Beyond: Democracy and Governance in America – a discussion with Mitt Romney, former U.S. Senator, Governor of Massachusetts, and Republican nominee for President. 

Fall 2026:

• America at 250 and Beyond: A Well-Informed Citizenry – a discussion with David French, Opinion Columnist for the New York Times; Steve Inskeep, NPR, Host, Morning Edition and Up First; and Jameel Jaffer, Executive Director, Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. Register here! 
• America at 250 and Beyond: Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law – a discussion with Prof. Jamal Greene, Dwight Professor of Law, Columbia Law School; Prof. Aziz Huq, Frank and Bernice J. Greenberg Professor of Law, University of Chicago Law School; and Judge Jeffrey Sutton, Lecturer on Law, Harvard Law School (date pending).

We look forward to having you join us for this series of important discussions.

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.