What does it take to be electable? The answer to that question underlies the successes and failures of any democracy, and the United States is no exception. The demographic makeup of America’s elected offices has slowly diversified over the years, with one exception: religious affiliation. Almost the entire Congress identifies as Christian, as has nearly … Read more
Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Congressman Joaquín Castro represents the 20th Congressional District of Texas. Having served in the Texas state legislature for five terms, he now serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee in his second term in the U.S. House of Representatives. A second generation Mexican American, … Read more
One of the Spring 2016 Fellows at the Harvard Institute of Politics, Christopher Smart has spent the last six years as a senior policymaker for international economic affairs in the Obama Administration. He also worked as an advisor to the Russian government following the collapse of the Soviet Union and as Deputy Assistant Secretary of … Read more
In the world of politics, not all issues are equal. For better or worse, our conversations are driven by media coverage. And while the most talked about issue in 2015 was the 2016 presidential election, certain aspects of the divisive and newsworthy campaign were often overlooked. Despite the political mudslinging, record-setting debates, and pundit predictions, … Read more
With Donald Trump’s victory in the Nevada caucus, he appears to be on track to become the Republican nominee for president. He has won three of the first four contests and has a substantial lead in delegates. Certainly, in any normal year where all of the candidates are guaranteed the party’s general support should they … Read more
Born in Brookline, Massachusetts, Conan O’Brien is an American comedian, writer, producer, and late-night talk show host. He is a member of Harvard’s Class of 1985, and while a student in the College, he served as president of The Harvard Lampoon. For his work on his late-night talk show, Conan, he has received a People’s Choice Award and a … Read more
The current mayor of Cuernavaca, (located in the southern-central state of Morelos), Cuauhtémoc Blanco was raised in Tepito, a lower-class neighborhood in Mexico City known for its violence and pirated goods. Between 1992 and 2015, he played professional soccer for several clubs in Mexico, Spain, and the United States, including the Mexican National Team. … Read more
In the year since Ariana Grande’s album My Everything hit the market, the singer went on tour, appeared in FOX’s Scream Queens, and licked her way to a national scandal. Grande has wasted no time churning out new music–on November 30, 2015, she released Focus, the lead single to her upcoming LP Moonlight. And … Read more
When you first begin to embark upon the journey of adulthood, you receive key pieces of advice from your circle of mentors—advice like not signing up for a slew of credit cards the moment you turn eighteen and staving off college pregnancies. But within the whirlwind of advice that everyone bestows upon you before you … Read more
Dr. Han Seung-soo has served as Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (2008-2009), Minister of Foreign Affairs (2001-2002), and Korean Ambassador to the United States (1993-1994) among other roles in politics and diplomacy. He also presided as President of the 56th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2001. Since 2013, Dr. Han has … Read more