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
Nick Chedli Carter
Director of Democracy Initiatives
Tova Wang
Senior Researcher in Democratic Practice
The Latest News and Research
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
Symposium — 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.
Video
Electoral College Symposium: What’s to be Done?
On April 3rd, panelists discussed if there is, in fact, a better way to elect the President of the United States.
Q+A
What role can sports teams play in 2024 voter turnout?
Ash Center Senior Researcher Tova Wang and NFL Network analyst Scott Pioli answer questions about how sports teams can foster civic engagement.
Feature
How politicians can draw fairer election districts − the same way parents make kids fairly split a piece of cake
Ben Schneer discusses the implications of redistricting and how those policies can be amended to combat gerrymandering and create fairer elections.
Additional Resource
Recommendations for Implementing Jail Voting: Identifying Common Themes
This guide is intended for advocates, organizers, and practitioners working across America to facilitate the voting process for eligible voters in jails.
Additional Resource
The Double-Edged Sword of Algorithmic Governance: Transparency at Stake
This essay was adopted from a presentation given by Niclas Boehmer at the Second Interdisciplinary Workshop on Reimagining Democracy held on the campus of Harvard Kennedy School in December 2023.
Additional Resource
Can We Talk? An Argument for More Dialogues in Academia
This essay was adopted from a presentation given by Manon Revel at the Second Interdisciplinary Workshop on Reimagining Democracy held on the campus of Harvard Kennedy School in December 2023.
Additional Resource
Ensuring We Have A Democracy in 2076
This essay was adopted from a presentation given by Aditi Juneja at the Second Interdisciplinary Workshop on Reimagining Democracy held on the campus of Harvard Kennedy School in December 2023.