ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø

The White House lawn on a sunny day.
Feature: Is DOGE Sure It Wants to Fire These People?

Juliette Kayyem examines the negative effects that Elon Musks’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) could have on the safety of everyday Americans.

River running through a densely populated area.
Feature: Private Benefits from Public Investment in Climate Resilience

Joseph Aldy finds that governmental construction of levees, which enhance resilience to flood risks amplified by climate change, increases home values by 3-4 percent.

Person sits on a bed holding a check.
Feature: Assessing Government Outreach to Bolster Benefits Take-Up

Elizabeth Linos finds that light-touch interventions significantly, consistently, and cost-effectively increase benefits take-up among low-income households, while higher-touch proactive outreach yields minimal additional take-up.

Black family happily sits on the grass in a park.
Feature: Excess Mortality Rate in U.S. Black Children Since 1950

Soroush Saghafian finds that 5 million excess deaths of Black Americans, including over 500,000 infants, could have been avoided over the past 70 years if their mortality rates were equal to those of White Americans.

Harvard Kennedy School faculty disseminate their research in working publications and papers that contribute to public knowledge and fuel policy innovation. This list features recent faculty publications, including journal articles, books, edited volumes, research papers, and public testimony.

Faculty Publications

Dynamic Persuasion: Decay and Accumulation of Partisan Media Persuasion

Baum, Matthew A., Adam J. Berinsky, Justin de Benedictis-Kessner, Joohye Jeong, Zachary Markovich, and Teppei Yamamoto. "Dynamic Persuasion: Decay and Accumulation of Partisan Media Persuasion." March 2025.

Local Money: Evaluating the Effects of Municipal Campaign Contributions on Housing Policy Outcomes

Gaudette, Jennifer, and Justin de Benedictis-Kessner. "Local Money: Evaluating the Effects of Municipal Campaign Contributions on Housing Policy Outcomes." April 23, 2024.

The Electoral and Policy Effects of Election Timing in City and County Government

de Benedictis Kessner, Justin. "The Electoral and Policy Effects of Election Timing in City and County Government." December 23, 2023.

Where the Sidewalk Ends: How Participation Contributes to Inequity in Basic Government Service Provision

de Benedictis Kessner, Justin. "Where the Sidewalk Ends: How Participation Contributes to Inequity in Basic Government Service Provision." December 23, 2023.

Algorithmic recommendations have limited effects on polarization: A naturalistic experiment on YouTube

Liu, Naijia, Matthew A. Baum, Adam J. Berinsky, Allison J.B. Chaney, Justin de Benedictis-Kessner, Andy Guess, Dean Knox, Christopher Lucas, Rachel Mariman, and Brandon M. Stewart. "Algorithmic recommendations have limited effects on polarization: A naturalistic experiment on YouTube." September 18, 2023.

Democratic mayors have no effect on crime, but do reduce the Black share of arrests for petty crimes

de Benedictis Kessner, Justin, Matthew Harvey, Daniel Jones, and Christopher Warshaw. "Democratic mayors have no effect on crime, but do reduce the Black share of arrests for petty crimes." January 23, 2023.

How Self-Interest and Symbolic Politics Shape the Effectiveness of Compensation for Nearby Housing Development

Hankinson, Michael and Justin de Benedictis Kessner. "How Self-Interest and Symbolic Politics Shape the Effectiveness of Compensation for Nearby Housing Development." November 18, 2022.

Media Measurement Matters: Estimating the Persuasive Effects of Partisan Media with Survey and Behavioral Data

Wittenberg, Chloe, Matthew A. Baum, Adam J. Berinsky, Justin de Benedictis-Kessner, and Teppei Yamamoto. "Media Measurement Matters: Estimating the Persuasive Effects of Partisan Media with Survey and Behavioral Data." September 26, 2022.

What the Next Mayor Needs to Do About Boston's Transportation Crisis

de Benedictis Kessner, Justin, and Kathryn Carlson. "What the Next Mayor Needs to Do About Boston's Transportation Crisis." Boston Area Research Initiative White Paper Series, September 2021.