1990-91 1991-92 Institute of Politics Jnliii i}\ KeHHech- School of Gcivernnient Harvard University PROCEEDINGS Institute of Politics 1990-91 1991-92 John R Kennedy School of Government Harvard University FOREWORD The Institute of Politics continues to participate in the democratic process with the many and varied programs it sponsors: a fellows program for individuals from the world of politics and ihe media; a program for undergraduate and graduate students encouraging them to become involved in the practical aspects of politics; training programs for elected officials including newly-elected members of Congress and newly-elected mayors; a variety of conferences and seminars; and a dynamic public events series of speakers and panel discussions in the Forum of Public Affairs of the John F. Kennedy School of Government. This edition of Proceedings, the thirteenth, covers two academic years—1990-91 and 1991-92—and shows the range of activities through which the Institute addressed the major political issues and events of the day, from the war in the Persian Gulf to the 1992 presidential election. The Readings section provides a glimpse at some of the actors involved and the issues discussed. The Programs section provides details of the many undertakings of the student program—study groups, twice-weekly suppers, intern­ ships, summer research grants, the quarterly Harvard Political Review, political debates and many special projects. There is also information on the program for fellows, on conferences, seminars and meetings, and a list of events held in ttie Forum. On October 25 and 26, 1991, the Institute celebrated the 25th anniversary of its founding with an exciting schedule of events including a traditional lOP supper, a debate between Ron Brown and Clayton Yeutter, chairmen of the Democratic and Republican National Committees and a 1960s dance. Among other events were three panel discussions on why young elected officials chose politics, the "new world order" and political activism on campus. Among the many international political figures hosted by the Institute during these two years were Visiting Fellow Sir Geoffrey Howe of Great Britain and Forum speakers and panelists Georgy Arbatov, Fedor Burlatsky, Mikhail Gorbachev and Grigory Yavlinsky from the formerU.S.S.R., Jiri Dienstbier of Czechoslovakia, Yoriko Kawaguchi and Motoo Shiina of Japan, Leonid Kravchuk of the Ukraine, Tshisekedi wa Mulumba of Zaire, Yitzhak Rabin of Israel and Fernando Solana of Mexico. The Forum also presented a presidential candidates series and a six-part series on the Gulf War. Speakers addressing domestic issues included U.S. Cabinet members Housing and Urban Development Secretary Jack Kemp, U.S. Surgeon General Antonia Novello and Attorney General Dick Thomburgh; U.S. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell; Governors Mario Cuomo of New York, L. Douglas Wilder of Virginia, Buddy Roemer of Louisiana and Lowell Weicker of Cormecticut; and Mayors David Dinkins of New York City and Sharon Pratt (Dixon) KeUy of Washington, DC. Anne Doyle Kermey Editor DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE When I la~t communicated with you by way of ProCL'edlllgs, I had been in the job less than a year, had just returned from Roma­ nia where I observed and was thrilled by their first free elections in more than fifty years, and I promised you that the Institute would throw a big party for our twenty­ fifth anniversary. Two years later, I feel like a veteran in the job. We had a wonderful party for the twenty-fifth, which I hope you were able to attend or at lea t read about in our anniver­ sary publication, and we have had, I think, some vcry productive and exciting time in pursuit of the Institute's mission. Oh, and in the meantime, Romania had anotherelec­ tion (and elected the same guy!). As this edition of Proceedillgs goes to pre ,weareabout to have an election ourselves, which has made for an exciting year of politics here. During the primaries, most of the major candidates and many of the minor candidate for president appeared in the Forum, which for most of 1992 was alive with political discussion, campaign speeche and the re cntly completed presidential debate. 1992 was an e>..traordinary and eclectic year for the Forum whose guests ran the gamut from I Franken to Mikhail Gorbachev. It was also a year in which the Forum went back on national television, an exciting opportunity which ended after only two programs with the demise of the The Monitor Channel. We continue to look for opportunities to expand the audience for the Forum. \er the two yearscovered in this issue of Proceedings, we did expand by twenty-four the long and growing list of former In titute fellow. I'm certain you will agree it is a good list of former elected officials, campaign operative, and journalists who ha\'e b 'en inspirational to our students. nd talk about timeliness and relevance, two of our fellows left the Institute for high visibility positions in presidential campaign: Tom Luce (fall '90) with Ross Perot, and Betcy Wri 'ht (spring '92) who commuted between ambridge and Little Rock before joining the linton campaign full time. Doris Kearns oodwin and husband Dick oodwin were research fellows in fall '91 while Doris worked on her book about Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, and Nikita Khruschev's son, Sergei, was a research fellow for a semester (fall '90) while working on a new book about his father. And Yelena Khanga's book, S01l1 to SOlll, was finished during her pring '92 fellowship. You may also have noted that one of the prestigious MacArthur Foundation grants was awarded to spring '91 fellow, Unita Blackwell, civil right pioneer and the mayor of Mayersville, Mississippi. There are always staff changes in organization and the Institute had its hare over the last two years. Among tho e who left is John Howell, who came with me from 'attic in January of 1990 to serve a deputy director. John, Claire and little Harrv moved back to eattle this eptember where he is a partner in a consulting firm. speaking of departures, the ebb and flow of students continues to dismay and delight. We lost to graduation some of our hardest working, most committed, most energetic student advisory committee members, only to welcome a band of feisty new freshmen. The only abiding concern about the SAC is the inability of its members to best Institute staff in the annual Softball game. I hope you find this issue of Proceedings as informative and enjoyable as these past two years have been for those of us privileged to work here. Charles Royer Director October 1992 E., I. Readings Readings CONTENTS DOMESTIC CHALLENGES 11 Health Issues of the 1990s Antonia Novello 16 The State of Our Cities David Dinkins 20 The American I>ream — Lost? Mario Cuomo STRATEGIES FOR CHANGE 25 America's Children T. Berry Brazelton James Rockefeller Lizbeth Schorr 33 Winning the War on Poverty Jack Kemp 36 Rebuilding Our Country H. Ross Perot INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES 42 A Conversation with the Former President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev 48 Israel in the 1990s Yitzhak Rabin REFLECTIONS 53 The Gulf War: Impact on the Black Community Dallas Brown Louis Elisa Leo MacKay Fletcher Wiley 58 Personal Perspectives: Four Women Fellows Maria Berriozabal Unita Blackwell Margaret Carlson Yelena Khanga 67 John F. Kennedy and the Arts Peggy Charren Richard Goodwin Robert Hughes Edward M. Kermedy John Kennedy Shelby Steele Domestic Challenges Health Issues of the 1990s by Antonia Novello On April 15,1992 Antonia Novello, surgeon general of the United States, delivered a public address, ^'National Perspectives on Health Issues of the '90s/' in the Porum of Public Affairs, John F. Kennedy School of Government. The following article is an edited version of that address. I come here with two messages: first for most of us our health status is molded and shaped one decision at a hme within a community, and second, women and minorities are threatened by a large number of serious health concerns which we can only address one decision at a time as a community. Unless we make every effort to provide the attenhon, recogr\ition, respect, empathy and care necessary for each of our citizens, we fail as policy makers and as a community. I wouldn't be here today without the help of a strong mother, dedicated physicians, outstanding educators and scholars, and a very understanding husband. I have been fortunate to receive the love and commitment of outstanding people who have helped to traiisform my life from a little town in Puerto Rico to the nation's capital. Growing up, I struggled with a congerutal birth defect which made me sick for long periods of time. I spent most of my summers in hospitals. While this problem was finally corrected after many surgeries, the lessons I learned could never be cut out by the surgeon's blade. I learned that one person can make a difference because so many people made a difference with me. No one gave up on me, everyone went the extra mile to help me with my studies or to bring books to the hospital. It was in this enviroimient that I learned the importance of strong parental support. My mother was the most influential figure in my life, helping me to learn about commitment, and pushing for education. My physicians also gave me a unique perspective about service through medicine. In Puerto Rico most physicians are not wealthy people. Often theirs is a life of long hours and difficult cases with little financial compensation. Yet, I was worth their time, not because I was someone special but because they adopted me and cared for me.