Study Group with Stephen Richer: Reading MAGA at Harvard

This in-person study group led by Stephen Richer, Senior Practice Fellow in American Democracy and former elected Maricopa County Recorder, will take place throughout six sessions. Registration is required.

In-Person Event

Location TBA

As of September 15, registration for this study group is closed.

The Make America Great Again (“MAGA”) movement may be the most consequential movement of the twenty-first century. The movement’s leader, Donald Trump, is now president of the United States for a second time, and highly consequential cabinet positions in the United States are filled by MAGA adherents. The movement’s ascent is not limited to the United States. Right-of-center populist politicians are increasingly powerful and influential throughout the world. They often try to ally with America’s MAGA movement or mimic its politically successful model.

This fall, Ash Center Fellow Stephen Richer will convene a study group, “Reading MAGA at Harvard,” for HKS and Harvard students interested in pursuing an increased understanding of the MAGA movement. Given MAGA’s central role in both the United States and the world, it is important for any political professional — politicians, public policy professionals, foreign service professionals, journalists, or political scholars — to understand the philosophy and appeal of MAGA. The study group is not an effort to extol or attack specific MAGA ideas or politicians. This group will encourage participants to explore and engage with the primary goal of understanding the motivations, appeal, and ideas of the MAGA movement.

 

Session Dates

  • September 24

  • October 1

  • October 15

  • October 29

  • November 5

 

About the Speaker

Stephen Richer is a Senior Practice Fellow in American Democracy at the Ash Center, where he researches and writes on election administration and democracy, and he is the co-host of the Ash Center’s Terms of Engagement show. He is also the CEO of Republic Affairs, a Washington, DC-based crisis consulting and communications firm.

Previously, Stephen was the 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.

Registration Information

Please register as soon as possible, but no later than Sunday, September 14th. If capacity is reached, we will notify students if they have been accepted or assigned to the waitlist. We will also include the HKS room location at that time.