Explore all Articles

filter by–Region

filter by–Country

search by–Keyword

Why West Bank Settlements Threaten Both Israel and Palestine

06.29.17

BY MATT MCDOLE The clatter of rocks on limestone brings our conversation to an abrupt halt as we dart for cover along the sides of the narrow street. Under the questionable protection of torn awnings, our group of Harvard graduate students resumes the journey into the heart of the medieval Palestinian City of Hebron. Overhead, nets and metal grates hang down, sagging under the weight of kitchen […]

No Place Like Home: Racial Capitalism, Gentrification, and the Identity of Chinatown

06.29.17

This piece was published in the 27th print volume of the Asian American Policy Review. The forces of gentrification have reached the gates of Chinatowns. Across America, upscale property developments threaten to encroach on venerable ethnic enclaves that happen to sit on very valuable real estate. While Chinatown gentrification in some ways repeats a pattern played […]

Gender, Race and Identity
Saudi power lines

Reaching for the sun: Saudi Arabia embraces renewable energy

06.27.17

With an economy long buoyed by oil, Saudi Arabia is beginning to feel the pinch for the first time in decades. The Saudi economy grew at a meager rate of 1.4% in 2016, as the war effort in Yemen and low global oil prices began to take their toll. This forced the government to raise $9 […]

Environment and Energy

Gross National Happiness: An Idea Whose Time Has Come?

06.27.17

BY KINGA TSHERING  “Gross National Happiness measures the quality of a country in more holistic way and believes that the beneficial development of human society takes place when material and spiritual development occurs side by side to complement and reinforce each other.” His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Fifth King of Bhutan (2006–) Is a […]

Decision Making and Negotiation

Wealth Heterogeneity Among Asian American Elderly

06.26.17

This piece was published in the 27th print volume of the Asian American Policy Review. Abstract This paper examines wealth distribution and ethnically structured inequality among Asian American elderly. This paper uses three different datasets—the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), Health and Retirement Study (HRS), and micro-level data from the American Community Survey (ACS)—to […]

Poverty, Inequality and Opportunity

Trump’s Technology Week Stumble

06.26.17

BY MATTHEW ERIC SPECTOR President Trump’s recent “technology week” was full of contradictions. Although the administration put on airs to appeal to Silicon Valley, top CEOs, and emerging innovators, the Trump team failed to spell out concrete plans for expanding technological opportunities and closing the growing digital divide. While playing host to executives from Facebook, […]

Iran’s presidential elections: What next for Rouhani?

06.24.17

He may be a political insider, but Hassan Rouhani ran his 2017 presidential campaign as an anti-establishment candidate. More than 40 million Iranians voted, and despite the close election President Rouhani won a second term in May with 57% of the votes. When the election results were announced, thousands of people spilled into the streets dancing, singing, […]

Democracy and Governance

At the Crossroads of Change: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, Undocumented Korean Americans’ Political Participation, and Upcoming Challenges

06.22.17

This piece was published in the 27th print volume of the Asian American Policy Review. On January 14, 2017, a week before President Donald Trump’s inauguration day, Junsoo Lee, a nineteen-year-old undocumented Korean American from Virginia, gave a speech at the “Here To Stay” rally in Washington, DC. He said, “Because of the ignorance and hatred […]

Asylum seekers in Greece

To address the refugee crisis, focus on dignity

06.22.17

Millions of people in the Middle East and elsewhere were forced to flee their homes in recent years. What they need most now is dignity.

Human Rights

Trafficking and Autonomous Vehicles: A Long Road Ahead

06.21.17

BY DOUG LAVEY Many hail autonomous vehicles (AV) as a life-altering innovation that will radically transform the way society transports individuals and goods. However, few resources are dedicated to the impact AVs may have on those individuals and goods that should not be transported, namely illegal human and drug trafficking. Consider the following scenarios: 1)     […]

Four Steps toward Fostering a High-Performing Culture in Government

06.19.17

BY COLIN MURPHY In the United States, twenty-two million people work in government.[1] These people sweep our streets, educate our children, and protect our borders. So much of our quality of life depends on how well these employees and their teams are working. Government performance—the ability of the people and organizations within government to deliver […]

Democracy and Governance

Asian American Lobbying: Past, Present, and Future

06.19.17

This piece was published in the 27th print volume of the Asian American Policy Review. Despite its dubious reputation, lobbying has evolved into a platform for minority interest groups to voice their concerns. By leveraging this “fourth branch of government,” racially affiliated minority interest groups directly appeal and advocate to members of Congress. Organizations like the […]

Call for Submissions


Join the HKS Student Policy Review—

to research, write, and learn about policy in a new way. We offer Harvard students an opportunity to engage with the most important policy issues of our time, across a whole range of topics and regions.