Category: News

Dept of Government at Harvard Office

Yuhua Wang named Harvard College Professor for excellence in Undergraduate teaching

Yuhua Wang, Ford Foundation Professor of Modern China Studies, has been named a recipient of the prestigious Harvard College Professorship. This honor, announced by Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Hopi Hoekstra on May 6, recognizes Wang’s outstanding contributions to undergraduate teaching, mentorship, and research. Wang joins four other distinguished faculty…

Andrew O’Donohue wins APSA Best Conference Paper Award for research on Democratic Backsliding in Turkey

Ph.D. Candidate Andrew O’Donohue has been granted the 2024 Best Conference Paper Award from the American Political Science Association’s (APSA) Law and Courts Section. O’Donohue was recognized for his paper, “Law versus Democracy: Minoritarian Courts, Audience Costs, and Democratic Backsliding in Turkey”, an in-depth study examining how judicial institutions may inadvertently contribute to democratic erosion….

Ashley Adirika named Truman Scholar, honored for her Dedication to Public Service

Ashley Adirika

The Harvard Government Department proudly celebrates Ashley Adirika, a junior concentrator, on being named a 2025 Truman Scholar — one of the most prestigious awards in the nation for students pursuing careers in public service. Ashley was selected alongside fellow Harvard junior Eva Frazier, a Social Studies concentrator, from a competitive pool of 743 candidates…

Melani Cammett and Taeku Lee appointed to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Melani Cammett and Taeku Lee have been elected to the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences, joining a distinguished class of nearly 250 new members. Their election recognizes their outstanding contributions to political science and public policy, as well as their commitment to advancing research that informs contemporary challenges. Melani Cammett, Clarence Dillon Professor…

Julio Solis Arce and Chengyu Fu Awarded Prestigious Traveling Fellowships for 2025–26

Julio Solis Arce and Chengyu Fu

We are pleased to announce that two Ph.D. candidates from the Department of Government, Julio Solis Arce and Chengyu Fu, have been awarded competitive traveling research fellowships for the 2025–26 academic year. Administered by the Committee on General Scholarships at the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS), these fellowships support…

The Vik-Bailey Spring 2025 Lecture: Stephen Macedo and Frances Lee discuss new book

The Vik-Bailey Spring 2025 Lecture, held in the Belfer Case Study Room on April 10th, delivered thought-provoking insights on the political handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Princeton University Professors Stephen Macedo, the Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Politics and the University Center for Human Values, and Frances Lee, Professor of Politics and Public Affairs, discussed…

Celebrating academic excellence at the 2025 Harvard Horizons Symposium

Andrew on stage at the Sanders Theatre delivering his presentation

On Tuesday, April 8th, members of the Harvard Department of Government gathered at the 2025 Harvard Horizons Symposium to support and celebrate one of our own, Ph.D. candidate Andrew O’Donohue. Organized by Harvard Griffin GSAS, this prestigious annual event highlights the remarkable research of the selected 2025 Harvard Horizons Scholars, chosen by the Harvard Horizons…

Daniel Carpenter moderates a packed Harvard Political Union debate event

On April 1, the Harvard Political Union (HPU) hosted a lively debate between the Harvard College Democrats and the Harvard Republican Club, drawing a crowd of more than 300 undergraduates to the Science Center. The event, moderated by Department of Government Chair Daniel Carpenter, really highlighted students’ keen interest in political discourse. The debate covered…

Celebrating Women’s History Month: championing feminist voices in academia

graphic that says Women's History Month

As Women’s History Month comes to a close, we are proud to spotlight the remarkable work of our senior thesis writers, who contribute significantly to feminist discourse across a range of topics. Women’s History Month – a joint project by The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National…