Political Intermediation in the Digital Age: Is There A Way Out of Populism?

Date: 

Thursday, February 6, 2020, 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Location: 

L-382 (Khan Room), Harvard Kennedy School, 79 JFK Street

Speaker: Miguel Lago, Lecturer of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University; Executive Director, Institute for Health Policy Studies

Moderator: Nathalie Gazzaneo, MPP candidate, HKS.

The rise of populism is directly connected to the crisis of trust in political parties, mainstream media and trade unions. But it is also connected to the emergence of social media, where intermediaries tend do be removed in different activities. Therefore, is there still room for political intermediation in the digital age?

Miguel Lago is a political scientist and the executive director of the Brazil-based Institute for Health Policy Studies (IEPS). Prior to that Miguel has co-founded and directed, of Nossas, one of Latin America's largest civic tech initiatives. Nossas is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that works as a system of civic mobilization infrastructures and a laboratory for civic engagement. Miguel is also a lecturer at the School of International and Public Affairs of Columbia University where he teaches the impacts of the digital age in politics and public policy.

Nathalie Gazzaneo is a co-chair of the Brazilian Caucus at the Harvard Kennedy School and worked extensively on technology policy in Brazil before coming to HKS. She is currently specializing in political and economic development that may help emerging countries thrive in the knowledge economy.

Co-sponsored by HKS Brazil Caucus