How to Improve America’s Voting System
Professor of Economics Eric Maskin contends that the country’s traditional voting system distorts how citizens are represented and that gerrymandering exploits and worsens these distortions. He will discuss other possible voting systems and how they could make America’s election results fairer.
Debriefing Cisco v. Doe: The U.S. Supreme Court and International Human Rights
Over the summer, the Supreme Court — with its ruling in Cisco v. Doe — closed the door on recognizing modern international human rights law claims under the Alien Tort Statute, overturning the Court’s Sosa v. Alvarez-Machain decision and reversing a line of cases dating to 1980. This panel will examine the reasoning and implications of the Supreme Court’s decision, including how it is affecting pending cases in lower federal courts […]
Gerrymandering and the Midterms
Professors Nicholas Stefanopoulus and Ruth Greenwood discuss where things currently stand with voting maps, what to expect in November, and how partisan gerrymandering may affect future election cycles.
Kelman Seminar — Courageous Citizenship: A Grassroots Response to Political Polarization in America
Political polarization in the United States has become one of the defining conflicts of our time, and one that most Americans say they want a way out of. Braver Angels is the largest national volunteer organization helping Americans build together with people who see the world differently. They call it courageous citizenship. In this talk, […]
Beyond Naming and Shaming: Journalists, Lawyers, and Upholding Human Rights in 2026
Human rights and the laws of war are under severe strain: violations are documented in real time, yet consequences rarely seem to follow, faith that the rules will be enforced is thinning, and many people are turning away from the news altogether. Investigative journalists and international humanitarian lawyers play different but connected roles in preventing […]
Open Inquiry Discussion: U.S. Intervention in Iran & Venezuela
HLS is home to a wide range of viewpoints. Students for Open Inquiry aims to provide students from all backgrounds with the opportunity to engage with fellow students who have settled, unsettled, and differing viewpoints in an informal setting. At this lunch discussion, we will be focusing on evaluating recent U.S. intervention in Iran and […]