Theda Skocpol is a professor of Government and Sociology at Harvard University, where she focuses on both comparative politics and American politics. Recently, she published a comprehensive study, The Tea Party Movement and the Reshaping of Republican Conservatism, with Harvard graduate student Vanessa Williamson. Harvard Political Review: When George W. Bush was leaving office, the … Read more
Few things are as American as laying down a few bucks on a football game. But, oddly enough, sports gambling is illegal in all but four states—Delaware, Montana, Nevada, and Oregon. We already have state lotteries, horse tracks, and casinos. Betting can make sports more popular (when’s the last time you heard of someone going … Read more
From the glut of t-shirts, face paint, and other strange totemic adornments on view during Housing Day in and around Harvard Yard, it’s safe to assume that most freshmen are at least sort of happy about the river gods’ decisions. However, I speak from experience in saying that much of their enthusiasm, though healthy and … Read more
Given the importance and expense of Harvard classes, significant time and effort should be put into optimizing the process. The Q Guide and courses.cs50.net–the main tools used by undergraduates to help select courses–should be as efficient as possible. Here are five changes that will take Harvard course selection to the next level: 1. Filtering responses … Read more
Chuck Hagel and John Kerry represent a new future for American foreign policy. President Obama has already drawn to a close the wars of his predecessor, but otherwise echoed the Clinton era foreign policy — strong and influential, while restrained. Kerry and Hagel, on the other hand, stress a much more limited international role than their … Read more
The beaches of the island of Phuket off the northwestern coast of Thailand are often flooded with Western tourists eager for exotic experiences. And yet, the same tropical sunshine that gives these beachgoers their characteristically golden tans also shines upon the tumultuous Thai provinces of Yala, Narathiwat, and Pattani. These southernmost provinces, all approximately 400 … Read more
Tension is running high in Kenya in the wake of an historic general election that took place March 4. On Saturday, March 16, presidential candidate and outgoing Prime Minister Raila Odinga filed a petition with the Kenyan Supreme Court, disputing the election results announced March 9, which state that he was defeated by a 50 … Read more
Isn’t it refreshing to see a speaker at the Conservative Political Action Conference’s annual convention espousing female empowerment to loud applause? In the case of NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre’s speech last Friday, no, it is not. LaPierre, who said, “the one thing a violent rapist deserves to face is a good woman with a gun,” … Read more
Almost all self-identified liberals support the idea of equal opportunity. By this, I don’t mean that they oppose discrimination by gender, race, or any other arbitrary characteristic, though this is also true. I merely mean that they believe each individual should have an equal shot at reaching his or her desired station in life. This … Read more
For the fifth year running, President Obama filled out a men’s March Madness bracket. A noted sports fan, Obama’s bracket choices in the past have been ridiculed as political pandering—his upset picks have a tendency to come from swing states—but generally do quite well. His Final Four this year: Louisville, Florida, Indiana, and Ohio State. … Read more