The Harkin Institute

The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement exists to inform citizens, inspire creative cooperation, and catalyze change on issues of social justice, fairness, and opportunity. The Harkin Institute was founded in the spring of 2013 on the premise that good public policy is best achieved when policymakers have access to high quality information, political processes are open and well-understood, and citizens are informed and active participants. The institute facilitates collaborative, high-quality, nonpartisan, multi-disciplinary public policy research in the areas that defined Senator Tom Harkin's career: people with disabilities, retirement security, wellness and nutrition, and labor and employment. The Harkin Institute also fosters active and informed citizen engagement in public decision-making and policy-making and serves as a source of information on public policy issues and political processes for the state of Iowa and the nation. The institute's research, education, and outreach will expand knowledge and understanding of policy issues among students, scholars, and the public. The Harkin Institute is located at Drake University, the proud home of Senator Harkin's papers, spanning 40 years in public service and addressing some of the most pressing issues of the past half-century.