The Ballpark

President Donald Trump’s two terms in the White House have seen the president take a range of actions with congressional approval, leading to warnings from many commentators that America is in a state of constitutional crisis.

Is America experiencing a constitutional crisis, or have we reached the point of constitutional failure? At this LSE Phelan US Centre event, leading scholar on American constitutional history, Professor Jack Rakove, explored this question

Data is incredibly important in predicting climate change and its impacts. Now, climate scientists are increasingly using AI to help them interpret climate data and to make more accurate predictions about climate change and its impacts.

As the popularity of AI grows, this new technology is increasingly being applied to make decisions based on interactions with humans, and their behaviours. But what happens if the way these AI systems have been built mean that they get it wrong?

Since the emergence of AI as a highly transformative force for modern society, many have faced challenges in updating their policies to address the potentially harmful effects of unrestricted AI development and integration into everyday life.

From helping assign tasks and determine prices on delivery and rideshare platforms to recommending certain individuals over others on freelance hiring sites, AI is fast becoming a core part of the modern gig economy.

AI has become easily accessible, easy to use, and for many people, it’s a useful tool. This means that AI is being used by individuals and institutions to help solve a variety of challenges, from everyday decision-making to pressing global issues.

In 2026, the Phelan US Centre ran an essay competition for LSE master’s students with the prompt, “What role can democratic citizenry play in shaping America’s role in the world as it enters its 250th year?"

The global economy is undergoing profound transformation. Geopolitical realignments, rising economic nationalism, climate disruption, trade fragmentation, and technological upheaval are reshaping the foundations of international economic relations.

The 1990s were an important decade. They saw the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, falling trade barriers, an expanding capitalist democratic order and the rise of what came to be called the liberal international order.