HARVARD UNIVERSITY John F. WINTER 2003 Kennedy School of Message from the Director INSTITUTE Government Spring 2003 Fellows Forum Renaming New Members of Congress OF POLITICS An Intern’s Story Laughter in the Forum: Jon Stewart on Politics and Comedy Welcome to the Institute of Politics at Harvard University D AN G LICKMAN, DIRECTOR The past semester here at the Institute brought lots of excitement—a glance at this newsletter will reveal some of the fine endeavors we’ve undertaken over the past months. But with a new year come new challenges. The November elections saw disturbingly low turnout among young voters, and our own Survey of Student Attitudes revealed widespread political disengagement in American youth. This semester, the Institute of Politics begins its new initiative to stop the cycle of mutual dis- engagement between young people and the world of politics. Young people feel that politicians don’t talk to them; and we don’t. Politicians know that young people don’t vote; and they don’t. The IOP’s new initiative will focus on three key areas: participation and engagement in the 2004 elections; revitalization of civic education in schools; and establishment of a national database of political internships. The students of the IOP are in the initial stages of research to determine the best next steps to implement this new initiative. We have experience To subscribe to the IOP’s registering college students to vote, we have had success mailing list: with our Civics Program, which sends Harvard students Send an email message to: [email protected] into community middle and elementary schools to teach In the body of the message, type: the importance of government and politics. We have subscribe iop <your email address> (without arrows) provided internships that create extraordinary experi- ences for young people. We have reached many students at Harvard. But we can do so much more... 2 INSTITUTE OF POLITICS ARCO Forum to be Renamed after John F. Kennedy, Jr. The Kennedy School of Government’s Forum of Public Affairs, which will Harvard President Lawrence Summers and Senator Edward be renovated during the summer of 2003 through a gift from the Institute Kennedy inspect an artist’s of Politics (IOP), will be rededicated in the fall and named in honor of rendering of the future John F. Kennedy, Jr. John F. Kennedy, Jr. Forum Dan Glickman, director of the IOP, said it was fitting to name the Forum in John Kennedy, Jr.’s honor. “On many occasions in the Forum, John exhorted students to heed his father’s call to public service. He was an inspiration to many young people and his presence is sorely missed.” Senator Edward M. Kennedy said, “This tribute to John means a great deal to all of us in the Kennedy family. No one was more devoted to the Institute of Politics or more deeply committed to its goal of encouraging young men and women to participate actively in the civic life of our nation. He loved the Forum, and he would be proud to know that those who admired him so much at the Institute are honoring him in this way.” Caroline Kennedy echoed the sentiments. “I am honored that the Kennedy School of Government is renaming the Forum in John’s memo- ry,” she said. “John always loved visiting Cambridge, interacting with stu- dents, and serving on the IOP board. I hope the Forum will always remain a place where young people can discuss and debate major issues facing our society and envision a life of public service.” “Throughout his adult life Mr. Kennedy maintained very close ties with the School, serving as a member of the Institute of Politics Senior Advisory Committee for fifteen years,” said Kennedy School Dean Joseph Nye. “Having his name on our Forum wall will serve as a vibrant reminder of John’s many important contributions to our institution.” The Forum serves as the Kennedy School’s primary public venue for speakers, panel discussions and debates. Since its inception in 1978, the Forum has hosted more than 2000 events, seen by live audiences totaling more than 500,000 people and millions more via cable television, telecon- ferencing and the Internet. The founding donor, former oil company Atlantic Richfield (ARCO), will continue to be recognized for its original gift within the new Forum format and programming. INSTITUTE OF POLITICS 3 Jon Stewart of The Daily Show Speaks at the ARCO Forum D ECEMBER 13, 2002 INTERVIEWED IN Q: I want to know, do you have any type of agenda or any type of view? THE FORUM BY A: No…We do comedy shows and we tell jokes about things that we care JOSH WEINER ’03 about. And if you guys find that interesting and enjoy it, that’s great, too. But if I truly had an agenda about changing things, I would probably be working with groups that do that. There are groups out there that work tirelessly toward social change, and then there are people who work on a network that has robots that fight each other. The idea that I would say, “I would like to affect the political process. And you know the best way that I think to do it is to follow the film, Mannequin Three! I think comedians, when they say, “I am effecting social change,” are assholes, for the most part. Obviously, I have strongly held viewpoints, otherwise the show would be anchorless. If we just did jokes, “I think the sort of scatter shot into the bushes, it really would not be gratifying. But media has given a it’s a selfish gratification… I’ll give you an example. On Wednesday’s pass to everybody in show, the first act was all about the celebrities who came out against the war in Iraq to raise awareness, and it’s like “Iraq? What’s that?” So that was politics. I don’t think our first act, and the second act was geared toward Trent Lott and his sort they’re too easy on of Halley’s Comet of racism—every 22 years coming out with one of those, the Democrats or the “Are we on TV?” If you were going to try to find an agenda there, I don’t Republicans. I think know that you would be able to other than extreme levels of falseness. they’re too easy on Q: All right: Lightning Round. Who is going to be the Democratic nomi- everybody.” nee in 2004? A: My guess: pet rock. Q: Number two—President Bush: bumbling idiot or underestimated? A: Oh, my God, brilliant strategist. Bumbling idiot? Bumbling idiot? The man is drunk until he’s 40, and wakes up, literally, wakes up and goes, “(grunt), I think I will be President.” I tell you that is amazing. For God sakes, Al Gore had been studying for it when he was two. He got his “My First White House” when he was four. Bumbling idiot is “I just ate soap.” Come on. Be reasonable. These guys are brilliant strategists, the Republicans. They are brilliant...brilliantly evil… And Democrats, by the way? Tragically pathetic. Q: Number three—War in Iraq if Saddam dodges inspections: is it accept- 4 INSTITUTE OF POLITICS able or immoral? A: If done for the right reasons, liberating a country from a despot, I don’t see how that’s immoral. Done quickly, and then we all leave, yeah, that is kind of (immoral)… But they are literally, “If he doesn’t allow inspections, we are bombing him.” “I’ll allow inspections.” “If he doesn’t allow them on Tuesday”—“I'll allow them on Tuesday.” “If he doesn’t serve fondue.” “All right, I’ll serve fondue.” I mean they are going to do anything—it is clear they have cast their die. As hard as it is for Dick Cheney to get an erection, he’s not going to let this opportunity go by. Q: Number four, Bush’s economic policy: is it getting us out of trouble or “Where do you draw causing a recession? the line? We’re mak- A: No, I am sorry. I didn’t know that they had an economic policy. What ing jokes about sh** is it? I know what it is. Here is their policy. They sit in front of that little backdrop that they sit in front of and on it, printed, it says, “Economic that other people do. Policy.” And then Bush just kind of repeats that five times until people in Where do they draw trailer parks go, “I guess he’s open.” This is why nobody votes, because the line?” everybody thinks the whole thing is full of sh**, except you guys who have to study it. Q: Well, the final question is the most important. Who do you think would win in a death match, the Chancellor of your alma mater, Henry Kissinger, or the President of Harvard University, Larry Summers? A: That is an excellent question. Here is the thing. Physical fight, Summers would—let’s face facts, Kissinger is what, 112? Summers would AUDIENCE Q & A win the fight but, ultimately, Kissinger would carpet bomb, and I think that would be hard to come back from. Q: What I want to know is if you think George Bush has gotten a pass from the media? Are they being just too easy on him? A: I’ll explain it this way. I think the media has given a pass to everybody in politics. I don’t think they’re too easy on the Democrats or the Republicans.