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A painting of the Declaration of Independence signing.

Q+A

The Declaration of Independence at 250: Five Questions About America’s Founding Document

As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, its founding principles—and its enduring contradictions—continue to provoke reflection and debate. In this conversation, Alex Keyssar, historian and Matthew W. Stirling Jr. Professor of History and Social Policy at Harvard Kennedy School, discusses the historical circumstances in which the Declaration was written, the ideals it sought to articulate, how its meaning has evolved over time, and the tensions between its soaring language and the realities of slavery, inequality, and political compromise.

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The Declaration of Independence at 250: Five Questions About America’s Founding Document
A painting of the Declaration of Independence signing.

Q+A

The Declaration of Independence at 250: Five Questions About America’s Founding Document

As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, its founding principles—and its enduring contradictions—continue to provoke reflection and debate. In this conversation, Alex Keyssar, historian and Matthew W. Stirling Jr. Professor of History and Social Policy at Harvard Kennedy School, discusses the historical circumstances in which the Declaration was written, the ideals it sought to articulate, how its meaning has evolved over time, and the tensions between its soaring language and the realities of slavery, inequality, and political compromise.

Believing in the Power of the People
Picture of Paige Swem at Harvard.

Feature

Believing in the Power of the People

Paige Swem MC/MPA 2026 has built her career around a simple but powerful belief: meaningful change happens when institutions share power with the people they serve. From leading democracy reform efforts in Michigan to studying public leadership at Harvard Kennedy School, she has championed grassroots, participatory approaches that bring citizens into decision-making and strengthen democratic systems from the ground up, earning her the Ash Center’s Martha H. Mauzy Award this spring.

This article was originally written by Carol Kerbaugh for Harvard Kennedy School’s website. 

“Our Declaration” Reissued for America 250
The book cover against a blue background.

Commentary

“Our Declaration” Reissued for America 250

First published in 2014, Professor Danielle Allen’s Our Declaration has been reissued with a new foreword this year to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

AI models appear to recognize moral complexity — then ignore it, new study by researchers affiliated with Harvard Kennedy School’s Allen Lab finds
Outstretched hands holding a graphic of a scale and the outlines of two heads.

Media Release

AI models appear to recognize moral complexity — then ignore it, new study by researchers affiliated with Harvard Kennedy School’s Allen Lab finds

New study published in AI and Ethics introduces a new ethical-moral intelligence framework for AI and finds that leading AI models mimic human moral concern while making decisions that reveal a hidden value hierarchy. 

Q & A: Crocodile tears, Can the ethical-moral intelligence of AI models be trusted?
A hand pressing a tablet using AI.

Q+A

Q & A: Crocodile tears, Can the ethical-moral intelligence of AI models be trusted?

As artificial intelligence becomes more embedded in everyday decision-making, its role in shaping how people think about ethics and morality is drawing increasing scrutiny. In this conversation with researcher Sarah Hubbard, we discuss insights from her co-authored paper, “Crocodile Tears: Can the Ethical-Moral Intelligence of AI Models Be Trusted?”—examining how AI systems respond to moral dilemmas, and what this reveals about the risks, limitations, and need for greater transparency and human oversight in AI-driven ethical guidance.

Voter Experience Summit Recap

Commentary

Voter Experience Summit Recap

Allen Lab Fellow Hillary Lehr convened a Voter Experience Summit at Harvard’s Ash Center in March, bringing together 25 cross-sector experts to rigorously map the voter journey. This essay explores how that collaborative process could lay the groundwork for new interventions to understand and improve the experience of voting for all.

How Well Do Voting Choice Policies Represent Investor Preferences?
I voted icon

Feature

How Well Do Voting Choice Policies Represent Investor Preferences?

Asset managers face increasing political risk stemming from concerns that they prioritize their own interests when voting on behalf of investors. Using survey evidence and structural estimation, Montagnes provides early evidence on how well asset managers represent their investors by studying the ideological alignment between the two in the initial implementation of “voting choice policies.”