Harvard Political Review

As Governor Gavin Newsom wraps up his second term as California’s governor, a packed field of candidates has set their eyes on the state’s top executive seat. In a race that carries immense implications for power and influence, not just in California but nationwide, candidates must prove they are ready to reshape the future of one of America’s most-watched states. In this...

When given the choice between an “America First” approach that prioritizes national interests and one that emphasizes allies and international institutions, a plurality of young Americans are searching for a middle ground. According to the Spring 2026 edition of the Harvard Youth Poll, 37% of Americans ages 18 to 29 believe that the U.S. should balance both approaches, not ex...

When Benjamin Franklin and the rest of the Constitutional Convention adjourned from Independence Hall on Sep. 17, 1787, they walked out having created the document that, once ratified, would govern the nation for centuries to come. The summer had been a long one, and it was not always certain that the delegates’ better angels would prevail. Among the many prescient provisions...

What happens when the generation that is expected to carry democracy forward no longer trusts the system that sustains it? Newly released evidence from the 52nd biannual Harvard Youth Poll suggests that younger people are losing confidence in fair and free elections due to a lack of trust in government institutions as a whole. This lack of trust can be traced in part to growi...

America has long viewed its youth as the future, capable of emanating hope to the rest of society. Although the country counts on young people to be resilient, today’s American youth may be defined more by anxiety than optimism. Uncertainty about the nation’s current state casts a looming shadow on perceptions of the future. For many, that uncertainty is driven by concerns su...