Understanding American Political Institutions

Event Details

This four-day program offers an in-depth exploration of how American political institutions function in practice, with a central focus on the separation of powers. While the U.S. Constitution assigns distinct roles to Congress, the presidency, and the courts, the actual dynamics of governance are shaped by conflict, strategic adaptation, and institutional change. Through a series of thematic lectures and interactive discussions, we will examine how power is shared, contested, and reshaped across branches of government—and what this means for democratic accountability, policymaking, and institutional resilience in the United States and beyond.

Agenda

May 22, 2025
May 23, 2025
May 29, 2025
May 30, 2025

20:00 - 21:30

Competing Powers, Shared Government

Christina Kinane

This session introduces the separation of powers as both a constitutional principle and a governing dilemma. We explore how the design of shared authority between the branches creates both f...

This session introduces the separation of powers as both a constitutional principle and a governing dilemma. We explore how the design of shared authority between the branches creates both friction and flexibility, driving institutional conflict, compromise, and innovation. Case studies will highlight how political actors manipulate institutional rules to shift the balance of power.

Speakers

Christina Kinane
Assistant Professor of Political Science at Yale University
Christina Kinane is an Assistant Professor of Political Science, a Resident Fellow in the Institution of Social and Policy Studies, and the Faculty Director of the Millstone Fellowship in Public Service at Yale University. She studies American political institutions and their role in policymaking under separation of powers, with a focus on the political control of the bureaucracy. Her work has been published in the American Political Science Review and Presidential Studies Quarterly. She received her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan in 2019, and an M.P.A. in Public and Economic Policy from the London School of Economics and B.A.'s in Political Science and Economics from UCLA.
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Tickets

Early Bird

Early Bird Price RMB 3,999

May Day Discount

Early Bird Price RMB 4,200

Standard Ticket

Standard Price RMB 6,000

Special Discount

Participants of past Yale Center Beijing programs, those who have paid in advance for the 'For Humanity' Lecture Series, and Group Registrations (at least five persons) can enjoy a special discount

Standard Price RMB 3,899