[3][4] Since its founding in 1978, the Forum has hosted more than 1,000 events, seen by live audiences totaling more than 650,000 people and millions more via cable television, teleconferencing, and the Internet.

Originally known as the KSG Forum, it was renamed in 2002 in tribute to the president's son, who had served on the Institute of Politics' board of directors until his death in 1999.

[5] In 2018, students at the IOP started the Harvard Votes Challenge (HVC) in collaboration with the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation.

The university-wide initiative "strives to build a civic culture at Harvard University by increasing voter registration and participation among students, staff, and faculty.

Undergraduate members, in conjunction with the IOP's director of polling, John Della Volpe, conduct the largest national survey of the millennial generation.