Policy Students Should Build Portfolios, Not Just Write Memos How AI tools are reshaping what policy students can build and show

New from me:

Policy Students Should Build Portfolios, Not Just Write Memos

How AI tools are reshaping what policy students can build and show

jaeyeonkim.substack.com/p/policy-stu...

But what we want, in the end, is not a law but an outcome, no matter how you define it. The gap between the law and the outcome is policy implementation.

I think that one common misconception I’ve often seen among students is that policy change only comes from legislation, that is, passing a new law.

It was fun talking to our (UNC) MPP students yesterday. It was especially meaningful since it was an opportunity for me to talk about civic tech and why it matters. Thanks to Douglas MacKay for the kind introduction again.

jaeyeonkim.substack.com/p/why-civic-...

These are panelists. Thanks Nabeel again for serving as a moderator.

Data for Good Roundtables - Schedule Spring 2026 How State and Local Governments Can Strengthen State Capacity Using AI and Data Science Artificial intelligence is rapidly entering government, creating both excitement and concern. Some w...

The title is: How State and Local Governments Can Strengthen State Capacity Using AI and Data Science.

You can find more information about this upcoming session including the registration link here: sites.google.com/view/d4g-rou...

I’m a co-founder of the Data for Good Roundtables (D4G). Along with my co-founders (Tyler Simko, Nari Yoo, Soubhik Barari, Kayla Schwoerer, Ph.D.), and with Nabeel Gillani, who is graciously serving as moderator for this session, we are hosting the first session of the year.

Agreed. It's a way more complex governance problem that's not easily captured by such a simple distinction.

What Makes a Good Research Question Good research questions are not always obvious. Here are three criteria I tend to use, based on my own taste and experience.

What Makes a Good Research Question

Good research questions are not always obvious. Here are three criteria I tend to use, based on my own taste and experience. jaeyeonkim.substack.com/p/what-makes...

www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

"But the fight for epistemic institutions and for democracy will also require agency, action, and advocacy. It will require not just thinking and teaching differently but also doing and doing together differently as political scientists."

Carolina blue

Tracy Kidder, Pulitzer-winning author who turned unlikely subjects into bestsellers, dies aged 80 Writer looked to topics such as computer engineering and life in a nursing home to produce richly researched books

Tracy Kidder passed away. His Mountains after Mountains left an indelible impression on me.

www.theguardian.com/books/2026/m...

Spring break. Never tired of a sunset in California.

Reading good books always gets me excited.

Academic friends: A colleague at another institution is looking for syllabi on the rule of law. I'm sure many folks (not just that person) would benefit given <gestures wildly> - please share a link if you're willing!

Teaching How Power Works Thanks to the recommendation by (always resourceful and with good taste) David Brady, I watched Turn Every Page, the documentary about Robert Caro and his long partnership with editor Robert Gottlieb ...

New from me: Teaching How Power Works

Thanks to the recommendation by (always resourceful and with good taste) David Brady I watched Turn Every Page, the documentary about Robert Caro and his long partnership with editor Robert Gottlieb over the weekend.

jaeyeonkim.substack.com/p/teaching-h...

I'm very excited to announce the first session of Data for Good Roundtables this year. If you are curious, excited, or worried about how AI is being implemented in state and local governments in the U.S., this is an online panel you do not want to miss: sites.google.com/view/d4g-rou...

I just arrived in DC for an AI forum at the Federation of American Scientists tomorrow. It is unfortunate that I have to leave early on Thursday at noon. There are so many friends and colleagues here. This is a really special city because of the people and the community.

This is the updated syllabus for the course Politics of Public Policy that I am teaching this semester:

lnkd.in/euuTcdZX

This little book is still a classic.

Academic friends: do you have grad students working on survey methods questions (ones we can help answer with Survey 160 data)? Please share with them this fellowship opportunity. Applications for first round are closing soon. www.survey160.com/survey-160-r...

DC friends and colleagues: I will be in DC from next Tuesday to Thursday for a short trip. My Wednesday schedule is fully booked, but I may have some time Tuesday evening or Thursday morning or early lunch. If you would like to catch up or reconnect, let me know. Would be great to see you.

I will also expand my research agenda on tech policy, with a focus on how governments buy, use, and scale AI technologies.

During this time, I plan to finish my book manuscript, Unseen and Uncounted, which connects administrative burden with American political development.

I’m very excited to share that I will be on research leave and visiting the Berkeley Economy & Society Initiative, hosted by Paul Pierson, in Spring 2027.

The image features large text saying "JEPS" with smaller text below stating "NEW ISSUE ONLINE" on a dark background.

NEW ISSUE from the Journal of Experimental Political Science -

Volume 13 - Issue 1 - Spring 2026 - https://cup.org/4ktMMtb

w/ papers by @melinscribe.bsky.social, @efrenpolipsy.bsky.social, @kevinaslett.bsky.social, @jatucker.bsky.social, @jaeyeonkim.bsky.social, et al

#OpenAccess

Paths Denied, Paths Created Some memories fade as we grow older; others come into sharper focus.

Resharing what I wrote about my mission (and in memory of my late father) about a year ago. I do research because I care: substack.com/home/post/p-...

Academy Alumni | Consortium on the American Political Economy The annual CAPE Summer Academy is designed to introduce the APE framework, facilitate in-depth discussions around several key areas within APE, and create opportunities for participants to share work ...

"Participating in the CAPE Summer Academy in 2023 was one of the most formative experiences of my graduate training."

Hear from Rebekah Jones, @hrendleman.bsky.social,
@jaeyeonkim.bsky.social, @dannydaneri.bsky.social, @stano.bsky.social and others on what the Summer Academy meant to them!

Policy Is Not a Vending Machine Many political scientists implicitly rely on something like a vending machine model of public policy.

A new Substack essay from me: substack.com/home/post/p-...

Policy is not a vending machine.

The pace at which US wealth concentration is rising is simply staggering

The concentration of AI wealth into the hands of a few tech barons + plutocratic capture ==> unchartered territory