The Politics of the Future: Cognition, Moral Urgency, and Elite Threats

Please join the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs for a conversation with Thomas Zeitzoff, Professor in the School of Public Affairs at American University. Drawing from his current book project, Zeitzoff will discuss how individuals think about the future-oriented threats that shape contemporary politics, including climate change and AI-enabled disruption. 

Professor Zeitzoff’s research focuses on political violence, technology, and political psychology. His most recent book is No Option But Sabotage: The Radical Climate Movement and the Climate Crisis (Oxford University Press, 2026). His work has appeared in Science Advances, American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, International Organization, Political Psychology, among other journals, and he is also the author of Nasty Politics: The Logic of Insults, Threats, and Incitement (Oxford, 2023).

The seminar will be moderated by Belfer Center Director Meghan O'Sullivan, the Jeane Kirkpatrick Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School. 

Attendance is in-person and for HUID holders only. Space is limited so please only RSVP if you plan to attend. This event is off-the-record. 

Submitting your registration does not confirm your attendance. If you are confirmed to attend this event, you will receive an email from a member of the Belfer Center Operations Team with arrival details ahead of the event.