Through our books, case studies, journal articles, papers, and surveys, the Ash Center is home to some of the world’s most advanced research and publications on issues related to democratic governance and self-governance.
To explore all research authored by Ash Center faculty, please visit the Harvard Kennedy School website. You can view the Ash Center’s open access policy here.
Book
When Democracy Breaks aims to deepen our understanding of what separates democratic resilience from democratic fragility by focusing on the latter.
Newest
Video
Professor Khalil Gibran Muhammad was joined by Oscar-nominated filmmaker and screenwriter Ava DuVernay in JFK Jr. Forum
Additional Resource
Research Network members Allison Stanger and Woojin Lim, along with other authors, published “Terra Incognita: The Governance of Artificial Intelligence in Global Perspective” in the Annual Review of Political Science.
Video
The GETTING-Plurality Research Network at the Ash Center’s Allen Lab and Connection Science at MIT Media Lab hosted a webinar event focused on “AI and the Future of Privacy”. In this session, we hear from Bruce Schneier, security technologist, and Faculty Affiliate at the Ash Center; Sarah Roth-Gaudette, Executive Director of Fight for the Future; and Tobin South, MIT Ph.D. Candidate and Fulbright Scholar. Each presenter gives a lightning talk, followed by audience Q&A.
Video
Artist Hank Willis Thomas spoke with Harvard professor Sarah Elizabeth Lewis about how love guides his artwork at a Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics forum.
Video
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
Harvard ID holders were invited to a discussion with Ryan Streeter and Steve Goldsmith on the future of conservatism today as outlined in a recent paper, An Aspirational Path for American Conservatism.
Video
On April 3rd, panelists discussed if there is, in fact, a better way to elect the President of the United States.
Video
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele was recently re-elected with more than 80% of the vote. While Bukele is credited with bringing the country’s crime rate to historic lows, he has also adopted increasingly authoritarian measures under the guise of fighting the country’s powerful gangs. Speakers analyzed the sources of Bukele’s popularity, the human toll of Bukele’s prolonged state of exception, and the threats to democracy in El Salvador.
Policy Brief
We face a fundamental question: is the very pursuit of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) the kind of aim democracies should allow?