Leadership
At ASU, leaders from across the political spectrum are working together to strengthen democracy through nonpartisan dialogue, public service and principled leadership.
A team of experienced voices in public service
Ambassador Jeff Flake
Ambassador Jeff Flake is the founding director of Arizona State University’s Institute of Politics (IOP), where he leads efforts to prepare the next generation of civic leaders through nonpartisan engagement and public service education.
Ambassador Flake recently served as the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Türkiye, where he played a pivotal role in advancing NATO expansion and transatlantic security. In January 2025, he was knighted by the Swedish Government, receiving the Royal Order of the Polar Star for his work securing Sweden’s accession to NATO.
Prior to his diplomatic service, Flake represented Arizona in the U.S. Senate from 2013 to 2019, and in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013. Before entering Congress, he served as Executive Director of the Goldwater Institute in Arizona and directed the Foundation for Democracy in Namibia during the nation’s transition to independence.
He holds a BA in International Relations and an MA in Political Science from Brigham Young University. A frequent guest on national political programs, Flake has guest lectured at Stanford, Princeton, and Yale, and served as a Resident Fellow at Harvard’s Institute of Politics, where he also delivered the 2018 Harvard Law School commencement address.
Flake is the author of the New York Times bestseller Conscience of a Conservative: A Rejection of Destructive Politics and a Return to Principle. He and his wife, Cheryl, are the parents of five grown children.
David Axelrod
David Axelrod is a preeminent American political strategist and commentator, and the former chief strategist and senior advisor to President Barack Obama. Axelrod is the founding director of the University of Chicago's non-partisan Institute of Politics. He currently serves as a Distinguished Fellow at the University of Chicago, Professor of Practice at Arizona State University, and Chief Political Analyst for CNN. A former political writer for the Chicago Tribune, Axelrod produced media strategy and advertising for 150 campaigns across the U.S., culminating in President Obama’s historic elections. Axelrod is also the author of The New York Times best-selling memoir, Believer: My Forty Years in Politics.
Patrick Kenney
The ASU Institute of Politics is an initiative of the Office of the Executive Vice President and University Provost, led by Pat Kenney, executive vice provost and Foundation Professor in the School of Politics and Global Studies. He is also a distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.
Kenney has authored and co-authored numerous books and articles on campaigns, elections, and voter behavior in American federal elections. His research has been supported by the National Science Foundation.