Additional Resource
Democracy demands new ideas.
Policy Brief
AI for Democracy Movements: Toward a New Agenda
Occasional Paper
Improving Election Administrator-News Media Relationships for Effective Election Coverage
Harvard’s hub for research and teaching on democracy
The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation develops ideas and fosters practices for equal and inclusive, multiracial, and multiethnic democracy and self-government.
Our Work
From expanding voting access to developing new strategies for antiracist organizational change, we tackle the most pressing issues facing democracy and democratic institutions around the world today.
Latest News
Commentary
Voter Experience Summit Recap
Allen Lab Fellow Hillary Lehr convened a Voter Experience Summit at Harvard’s Ash Center in March, bringing together 25 cross-sector experts to rigorously map the voter journey. This essay explores how that collaborative process could lay the groundwork for new interventions to understand and improve the experience of voting for all.
Feature
How Well Do Voting Choice Policies Represent Investor Preferences?
Asset managers face increasing political risk stemming from concerns that they prioritize their own interests when voting on behalf of investors. Using survey evidence and structural estimation, Montagnes provides early evidence on how well asset managers represent their investors by studying the ideological alignment between the two in the initial implementation of “voting choice policies.”
Commentary
Before the Civil Rights Act, My Great-Uncle from Roxbury Took on Pullman in 1954 — and Won
As we commemorate 100 years of Black History Month, it is worth remembering that progress was not driven by headlines alone. Beyond the monuments and courtrooms, everyday people took risks to demand dignity and fairness. Among them was my great uncle, whose pursuit of a promotion became a catalyst for change.
Upcoming Events
The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky
Online Event
11:00 am – 12:00 pm EDT
Democracy and the Art of Storytelling
In-Person Event
Land Lecture Hall, Harvard Kennedy School
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm EDT
The Cost of Local News: Paywalls, Information Inequality, and Democratic Engagement
In-Person Event
Ash Center Seminar Room 225, Suite 200, 124 Mount Auburn Street
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm EDT
