What happens when the Senate, a tradition-bound institution, encounters a nonconformist president intent on changing how the government operates? In a virtual conversation hosted by the Kennedy Institute, Prof. Sean Theriault, University of Texas at Austin, Prof. Frances Lee, Princeton University, and Prof. Christina Bellantoni, University of Southern California, discussed their new book, “Disruption? The Senate During the Trump Era.”

Read our latest newsletter.

Could restoring the talking filibuster fix the gridlock in the US Senate? The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate hosted a conversation with Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and his longtime Chief of Staff, Mike Zamore, on their recent book, “Filibustered! How to Fix the Broken Senate and Save America” moderated by Vox Policy Correspondent, Abdallah Fayyad.

On Tuesday, March 26, 2024, the Kennedy Institute’s annual dinner honored Governor Wes Moore and Governor Chris Sununu with the Edward M. Kennedy Award for Inspired Leadership. We were joined by honored guest, Gov. Maura Healey.  Moderator of NBC News’ Meet the Press, Kristen Welker, joined this year’s celebration as special guest and master of ceremonies.

Read our Winter 2024 newsletter.

The two institutes have assembled a team of policy experts and practitioners to examine why the study of funding our election systems is so difficult as compared to other government services and to highlight models of success at the local level.

The Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate hosted Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) for a conversation on the current state of Senate procedure and the challenges facing effective policy making in the country’s most deliberative body.

The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate and the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation hosted award-winning educator Dr. Carey Wright, for the 2024 Stone Social Impact Forum. The conversation was moderated by NBC News’ Education Correspondent, Rehema Ellis.

Rapp brings wide range of public policy and government relations experience to growing Kennedy Institute team

The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate appointed four former U.S. Senators as the newest members of its Board of Directors. Their addition brings the total number of Senators on the Kennedy Institute’s 21-member Board to eight, with equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans.

Read our Fall 2023 newsletter.

Co-hosted by the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the Senate and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, this event hosted Akhil Amar, Charles Fried, Kimberly Atkins Stohr, Gabe Roth, and Judge Patti Saris in a discussion about the new American Academy publication, The Case for Supreme Court Term Limits, which lays out why Supreme Court reform is needed, how term limits would positively impact growing polarization and partisanship on the court, and presents a possible path forward.

Read our statement on the passing of Senator Feinstein.

The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate and the Pew Research Center hosted a candid conversation about Americans’ deepening dissatisfaction with their elected officials and government and what that means for the future of American politics.

On September 26, 2023 the Edward M. Kennedy Institute hosted a special event marking the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement and its profound impact on finding a path to peace in Northern Ireland. Read the recap, watch the recording, and view photos from this iconic event.

The Kennedy Institute welcomed more than 30 foreign ambassadors – who represent countries across 5 continents – to Boston as part of the Experience America event. Led by the U.S. Department of State, Experience America connects foreign ambassadors with academic, business, and cultural leaders in hopes of strengthening relationships to promote economic investment, commerce, and dialogue.

The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate presented Anthony S. Fauci, MD and Bill Russell (posthumously) with the Edward M. Kennedy Award for Inspired Leadership on December 13th, 2022.

The third installment of The Senate Project series, featuring Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) was hosted inside the Edward M. Kennedy Institute’s one-of-a-kind full-scale replica of the Senate chambers. In a conversation moderated by FOX News Channel’s Bret Baier and streamed live on FOX Nation, the two Senators discussed a wide range of foreign policy topics, including the war in Ukraine, the Middle East and Iran sanctions, and the fentanyl crisis. Ernst and Shaheen both sit on the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

A bipartisan group of 10 former United States senators – five Democrats and five Republicans – gathered at the historic Kennedy Family home in Hyannis Port, Mass. for three days of conversation about how the nation’s current political climate is negatively impacting today’s Senate. They also discussed ways to expand bipartisan cooperation on legislative solutions to major issues facing the country.