The Constitution
A Transformative Reflection
Articles By: Neil Patel 
Neil Patel '13 is the Managing Editor of the Harvard Political Review. He grew up on Long Island and graduated from Herricks High School in 2009. At Harvard, Neil is currently majoring in Human Evolutionary Biology with a minor in Global Health Policy. Beyond political analysis, Neil's academic interests include molecular genetics and health policy. He has conducted policy research on the risk and management of cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases at both the Harvard School of Public Health and at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. In addition to his involvement with the HPR, he is also co-President of Harvard Dharma, teaches science in elementary schools through Experimentors, a Sustained Dialogue participant, and serves as a Peer Study Leader for the introductory genetics course. Neil plans to attend medical school after college. Having been named after Neil Armstrong, Neil loves anything sci-fi. He also speaks Gujarati and Spanish and believes that there is an ABBA song for every situation in life.
Democracy in the Doldrums
Is democracy still the optimal model for sustained growth and political stability?
Death of the News Anchor
When I made my usual trip to Google News the other day, Larry King headlines were taking over the newsfeed. From the title of the articles, I was afraid the poor guy had passed away. Luckily that was not the case. All the news outlets just felt the necessity to write orbituaries for King after he announced his plans for ... Read More
What Politicians Can Learn From Imperfection
“Nobody’s perfect.” That’s what Detriot Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga told reporters after umpire Jim Joyce blew a call at first base and cost Galarraga his perfect game in the 9th inning with two outs. After reviewing the replays once the game was over, Joyce admitted he was wrong. He provided a heartfelt apology and wiped tears from his face during ... Read More
Crowdsourcing, Science, and Politics
In a recent email to the university, President Faust invited the Harvard Community to participate in the “Harvard Catalyst & InnoCentive Prize for Innovation.” This experiment in crowdsourcing seeks to bring the Harvard community together to propose new questions and suggest new answers related to Type 1 diabetes. As the website states: “This challenge is an exercise in tapping the ... Read More
The State of the Union – LIVEBLOG
Follow us as we watch President Obama’s State of the Union! Summary: Obama’s State of the Union Address was reminiscent of his victory speech on the day he was elected. He appealed to voters on all parts of the political spectrum by focusing on issues that are at the forefront of the minds of most Americans. Obama touched on nearly ... Read More
Escaping the Poppy Field
American anti-opium efforts in Afghanistan Afghanistan’s war-devastated economy has one booming sector - the country produces 90 percent of the world’s opium. Money from this trade funds insurgents and terrorists, and encourages corrupt government officials to undermine security and the rule of law. Nevertheless, for decades U.S. policy towards Afghanistan failed to acknowledge the impact of opium. But in a ... Read More
