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Beyond the Ballot Box: What the 2026 Midterms Could Mean at Home and Abroad

With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, understanding the results will require more than watching which party wins each race. On October 22, Penn Washington hosted A Close-Up Look at the 2026 Midterm Elections, featuring panelists Hallie Jackson, Senior Washington Correspondent at NBC News, John Lapinski, Director of Elections at NBC News and Professor of Political Science…

US Capitol building at sunset, Washington DC, USA.
  • Blog

Help Wanted: The Next Generation of Climate Policy Leaders

On October 7, Penn Washington, the Public Service and Policy Initiative (PSPI), and the Penn Engineering Green Team, hosted an on-campus conversation on how leaders drive climate policy at the local, state, and federal levels featuring former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, former White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi, and Penn Washington’s Director of Domestic Policy Programs (and former U.S.…

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Talking Tech in D.C.

Penn Washington Summer Interns, Sarah Shahed and Alisa Shapiro, Reflect on the Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law and Policy’s Summer Intern Event In June, we had the opportunity to attend a Tech Law and Policy Summer Intern Lunch hosted by the Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law and Policy. The event was held in…

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Congress Is Looking at the Wrong AI Risk

 As technology advances, AI Chatbots are increasingly falling into the hands of younger generations. Nearly nine in ten kids ages 9 to 17 use or interact with AI, with roughly one in four doing so daily.  Legislation has been proposed to implement guardrails to protect children from potential harms and abuses from this rapidly evolving…

This stunning futuristic isometric digital artwork depicts the US Capitol Building as a central hub within a glowing circuit board, powerfully conceptualizing digital governance, government technology, and cybersecurity policy. Ideal for illustrating public sector innovation, AI integration, smart city infrastructure, and secure digital transformation in national administration, offering a high-tech vision of modern governmental solutions.
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New Kids on the Block: Middle Powers in Foreign Development

The dissolution of USAID on July 1, 2025, marked an abrupt break in U.S. engagement abroad. In the aftermath, the opportunity to rethink the entire system is needed. The retreat of traditional donors and the rise of new development actors reflect that broader shift in global governance. The era of rapid globalization following the Cold…

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) closed, with offices empty after jobs and workforce put on leave following DOGE directive to cut cost and government spending. Concept.
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AI and Healthcare Innovation: Design with us, not just for us

On May 27, Penn Washington partnered with the Penn Artificial Intelligence and Technology Collaboratory for Healthy Aging (PennAITech) and Penn Nursing to examine the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to support aging and improve the quality of life of older adults and their families, including persons with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.  PennAITech is a National Institute on Aging-funded initiative housed at Penn Nursing in partnership with Penn Medicine. Now celebrating…

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The Coming Crisis of NATO Deterrence

Penn Washington Executive Director Celeste Wallander has a new piece in Foreign Affairs making the case that deterrence, the kind that kept a nuclear-armed Russia from expanding further into Europe for decades, is being dangerously under resourced right now. Drawing on her experience as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Wallander traces the…

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The Real AI Tech Stack: Local to Global Governance

On May 7-9, The Special Competitive Studies Project held its annual AI+ Expo, an event that has become widely recognized in D.C. for the depth and breadth of companies, universities, government officials, and diplomats engaged in the discussion and practice of AI.  Beneath the flashy drone shows, walking robots, and multitudes of AI companies from startups…

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