Archon Fung
Director, Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation;
Winthrop Laflin McCormack Professor of Citizenship and Self-Government
Reimagining Democracy Program
Reimagining our political institutions to meet the democratic challenges of today.
To confront the growing challenges to democracy around the world, it’s time for new ideas.
Democracy requires deep and structural changes to survive and grow. The Ash Center’s Reimagining Democracy Program provides scholars and those on the frontlines of our democracy with a space for generating ambitious ideas and practices to make democracy more resilient, responsive, and inclusive.
Meet the Team
Tova Wang
Senior Researcher in Democratic Practice
Upcoming Events
Ash Center Open House
In-Person Event
Ash Center Foyer, Suite 200, 124 Mount Auburn Street
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm EDT
The Latest News and Research
Feature
How Portland, Oregon Embraced Voting Reform — and Democratic Innovation
Portland, Oregon passed one of the most progressive voting reforms in the country. Max Kiefel, Nick Chedli Carter, and Archon Fung explore the motivating factors behind this big change.
Feature
What led to the rise — and then fall — of participatory democracy in Colombia?
Research by Democracy Postdoctoral Fellow Jamie Shenk highlights how referendums in Colombia served as a powerful tool to block the expansion of mining and oil enterprises before the practice was curbed by the country’s Supreme Court.
Feature
Avoiding conflict over conflicts of interest
Developing and enforcing conflict of interest policies is no simple task for anti-corruption advocates and ethics officials alike. Archon Fung and Dennis Thompson help to better understand the problem and examine when risk is underestimated and when it is overestimated.
Additional Resource
Laws That Govern Jail-Based Voting: A 50-State Legal Review
As part of the Ash Center’s ongoing work examining the legal, political, and policy implications of advancing jail-based voting, Aaron Rosewood and Tova Wang examine the statutory basis for jail voting in each state.
Feature
Sports Franchises and Election Administrators Team Up to Create New Polling Places
The Ash Center’s Tova Wang and NFL executive Scott Pioli make the case for using sports stadiums as polling places this fall.
Case Study
From Crisis to Opportunity: How the City of Portland Embraced Democratic Innovation
In this case study of democratic innovation at the local level, the authors answer the questions: Why, in 2022, was voting representation and democratic reform firmly on Portland’s agenda? Did this shift contribute to Portlanders passing Measure 26-228?
Podcast
Democracy Paradox: When Democracy Breaks Mini-Series
The Ash Center is pleased to announce the launch of a new podcast mini-series in cooperation with Democracy Paradox around the newly released When Democracy Breaks: Studies in Democratic Erosion and Collapse, from Ancient Athens to the Present Day.
Feature
Elections and Voting Summer Reading List
A collection of must-reads curated by Ash Center’s Tova Wang showcases new ideas and efforts to build a more inclusive democracy in the US.
Podcast
Democracy Paradox: Alexander Keyssar on Why We Still Have the Electoral College
Alex Keyssar sits down with Democracy Paradox in an episode sponsored by the Ash Center for a discussion of his book, Why Do We Still Have the Electoral College?
Feature
Warding off new attempts to steal an election
At the Ash Center, Lawrence Lessig, Matthew Seligman, and Ian Bassin discuss the looming threats to our next presidential election.
Video
Book Talk: How to Steal A Presidential Election
On April 30, the Ash Center hosted a book talk with Lawrence Lessig and Matt Seligman, authors of How to Steal a Presidential Election (Yale, 2024). The discussion was moderated by Ian Bassin, co-founder and Executive Director of Protect Democracy.
Feature
Moving beyond the Electoral College
At an Ash Center symposium on Electoral College reform, Congressman Jamie Raskin makes the case that the US should finally move to a direct popular vote for selecting presidential winners.
Feature
The Electoral College: What’s to be Done
During an opening panel at an Ash Center symposium on the future of the Electoral College, scholars examined the history behind how the US adopted its peculiar centuries-old system of choosing presidential election winners – and what should be done to reform or even abolish the practice today.
Additional Resource
Resource Page — The Electoral College: What’s to be Done
The Electoral College is viewed as a democratic anachronism in modern day America, yet it has persisted for over two centuries despite repeated attempts to reform or abolish the institution. To understand why the Electoral College has largely remained impervious to change, the Ash Center convened a symposium of scholars, policymakers, advocates, and democratic practitioners to better understand prospects for reform and alternatives to this archaic system for formally electing the president of the United States. Below, we invite you to explore resources from this April 2024 convening held at Harvard Kennedy School.
Video
The Future of the Electoral College: A Conversation with Congressman Jamie Raskin
Harvard-ID holders were invited to join the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation and the Institute of Politics for a conversation with Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08) about the future of the Electoral College.