Podcast
Is Trump’s higher education compact a bad deal but a good opportunity?
This week, Danielle Allen joins Archon Fung and Stephen Richer on Terms of Engagement.
Podcast
From Congress to Kitchen Tables: Understanding the Impact of the Government Shutdown
Archon Fung and Stephen Richer are joined on Terms of Engagement by Air Traffic Controller Jack Criss to discuss the real-world impact of the ongoing shutdown.
The federal government shutdown, precipitated by Congress’s inability to reach consensus on a fiscal year 2026 budget, is nearing thirty days. The shutdown has brought some federal government programs to a grinding halt, while other government employees in essential roles continue to work with partial or no pay.
One such worker is Jack Criss, an FAA Air Traffic Controller currently stationed at Andrews Air Force Base. Criss has been receiving only partial pay and is slated to soon miss a full paycheck. To keep his family’s finances afloat, Criss has turned to a part-time job to ensure enough income.
Archon Fung and Stephen Richer were joined on Terms of Engagement by Criss to discuss the real-world impact of the ongoing shutdown.
About this Week’s Guest
Jack Criss has been an air traffic controller for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for 16 years and has worked through three government shutdowns. Originally from Dallas, TX, Criss grew up in Section 8 poverty and describes himself as a “started-from-the-bottom person.” He’s a proud single father to a daughter, who’s a straight-A student and a freshman playing varsity sports at a private school in Arlington, VA.
About the Hosts
Archon Fung is the Winthrop Laflin McCormack Professor of Citizenship and Self-Government at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Director of the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. His research explores policies, practices, and institutional designs that deepen the quality of democratic governance with a focus on public participation, deliberation, and transparency. He has authored five books, four edited collections, and over fifty articles appearing in professional journals. He received two S.B.s — in philosophy and physics — and his Ph.D. in political science from MIT.
Stephen Richer is the former elected Maricopa County Recorder, responsible for voter registration, early voting administration, and public recordings in Maricopa County, Arizona, the fourth largest county in the United States. Prior to being an elected official, Stephen worked at several public policy think tanks and as a business transactions attorney. Stephen received his J.D. and M.A. from The University of Chicago and his B.A. from Tulane University.
Stephen has been broadly recognized for his work in elections and American Democracy. In 2021, the Arizona Republic named Stephen “Arizonan of the Year.” In 2022, the Maricopa Bar Association awarded Stephen “Public Law Attorney of the Year.” In 2023, Stephen won “Leader of the Year” from the Arizona Capitol Times. And in 2024, Time Magazine named Stephen a “Defender of Democracy.”
More from this Program
Commentary
Conservatism and the Future of Democracy
When former Vice President Mike Pence visited Harvard’s Institute of Politics for a discussion on “The Future of Conservatism and American Democracy,” he was introduced not just by a moderator, but by a longtime friend and admirer — Ash Center Senior Fellow Stephen Richer. A former Republican officeholder, Richer has often cited Pence as a personal role model for integrity and constitutional fidelity. Their friendship added a layer of warmth and sincerity to an evening that balanced deep ideological reflection with a spirit of civility and mutual respect.
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Trump Targets Domestic Terrorism, James Comey Indicted
Archon Fung and Stephen Richer speak with Alex Whiting, Professor of Practice at Harvard Law School and an expert on criminal prosecution.