Q+A
How Sports Fandom Strengthens Community Connection
New research from More in Common explores how sports connect Americans across differences and strengthen their community ties.
Feature
Reimagining Democracy 2026 Summer Reading List
Tova Wang, director of research projects in democratic practice at the Ash Center, shares her top picks for summer reads focused on making democracy more resilient, responsive, and inclusive.
By:
Programs
If we want to fix our democracy, we have to look closely at how we connect with one another, whether that’s through structural reforms to our voting systems or the community we build at a sporting event. To help spark new ideas on how we participate in public life, the Reimagining Democracy Program’s Tova Wang shares a curated list of books, articles, reports, and podcasts to check out this summer.
Book
Fans Have More Friends 
David Sikorjak and Ben Valenta
This book provides data and real examples of how sports build community, social connection, and increased trust in ways that benefit us individually and as a society. Reading this was transformative for me — everything that I had ever intuited about the power of sports had well-conducted research and data to back it up. It is a very enjoyable read for any sports fan.
Report
“Fans, Politics, and the Power of Sports: Why Democracy Needs Sports Fans”
More in Common
Following up on the work by Sikorjak and Valenta, the fantastic organization More in Common conducted a survey on how sports fans differ from casual or non-sports fans in their values and civic engagement. Without giving away too many spoilers, the report provides data showing how big sports fans vote more, are more willing to talk to people across political divides, and score higher on many other metrics of greater civic health and social bonds.
Article
“The Best Response to the Supreme Court’s Callais Ruling: Proportional Representation”
Guy-Uriel Charles, Michael Latner, and Luis Fuentes-Rohwer
Professor Guy-Uriel Charles at Harvard Law School has been a friend and colleague for over 20 years and is one of our nation’s most brilliant legal scholars on the Voting Rights Act, among other issues. In this piece, he explains his view of what should come next now that the Supreme Court has eviscerated this historic piece of legislation, pointing toward structural fixes like proportional representation. His new edited volume, “America Unfinished,” is also just days away from publication. I legitimately can’t wait.
Substacks
“The Art of Association” 
Daniel Stid
Daniel Stid has been a leader in the democracy space for many years, currently serving as a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. I find him to be one of the most thoughtful, insightful, and creative thinkers and writers on a range of topics, including the role of philanthropy in our democracy. He consistently gets me to think about things in a new way, broadening my perspective and understanding. And now he has a podcast, too!
“The Ground Game” 
Dakota Hall
Dakota Hall is one of our most thoughtful leaders when it comes to youth attitudes, behavior, and voter engagement. Read this newsletter for a substantive and nuanced understanding of Gen Z politics in 2026 and beyond.
Tova Wang is the Director of Research Projects in Democratic Practice at the Ash Center. A longtime leader in election reform and increasing political participation among marginalized groups, she previously directed policy and research at the Center for Secure and Modern Elections and authored The Politics of Voter Suppression.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and do not necessarily represent the positions of the Ash Center or its affiliates.
Related Resources
Podcast
Terms of Engagement: Matthew Baum on What Voters Fear, What They Don’t Know, and Where They Look
As the 2026 midterm elections approach, new research raises an urgent question: Are Americans operating within fundamentally different information realities? In this episode, Professor Matthew Baum examines what voters know about election rules, where they get their information, and how partisan divides shape perceptions of the voting process.
Feature
In Appearance Before Congress, Stephen Richer Testifies on Alleged Noncitizen Voting in New Jersey
On Tuesday, September 15, 2026, former Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, now an Ash Senior Fellow and election administration expert, testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight. The hearing examined allegations that approximately 6,600 noncitizens were improperly registered to vote in New Jersey between June 2023 and June 2024.
Case Study
New Interactive Dashboard Maps the Voter Information Landscape Ahead of the 2026 Midterms
A new interactive dashboard maps where Americans are finding voting information and learning about key aspects of the voting process—from sourcing polling locations to voter registration—ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Developed in collaboration with the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, the National Internet Observatory at Northeastern University, the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation’s Program on Democracy and the Informed Public, and The Civic Health and Institutions Project, the research offers new insights into the voter information landscape in the United States.
Q+A
How Sports Fandom Strengthens Community Connection
New research from More in Common explores how sports connect Americans across differences and strengthen their community ties.
Feature
In Appearance Before Congress, Stephen Richer Testifies on Alleged Noncitizen Voting in New Jersey
On Tuesday, September 15, 2026, former Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, now an Ash Senior Fellow and election administration expert, testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight. The hearing examined allegations that approximately 6,600 noncitizens were improperly registered to vote in New Jersey between June 2023 and June 2024.