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What Democracy Means to Us: Reflections on America 250

Exploring Ash Center perspectives on the meaning of democracy, democratic participation and citizenship, and how democratic life might evolve over the next 250 years.

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Issues

Democracy 250

Images of Ash Center staff, faculty, and fellows on a grid layout. Video
2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. This July 4th, our country will celebrate 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the foundational document that first established our democracy.
At the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, we wanted to explore what democracy means to people today — and what the next 250 years of democracy may have in store.
This spring, we asked our community just that.
These are their answers.

 

Colette Anton is the communications coordinator at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation.

More on this Issue

Self-Evident Truths: The 250-Year Pursuit of Human Rights in the United States of America

Additional Resource

Self-Evident Truths: The 250-Year Pursuit of Human Rights in the United States of America

Published as the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, the Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights’ essay collection “Self-Evident Truths” gathers faculty and fellows across Harvard’s schools including the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, to examine how well America has fulfilled its promise that all people are created equal and endowed with inalienable rights.

The included essays span democracy, technology, public health, immigration, climate, and more, providing a nuanced look at what is required to fully realize the nation’s founding ideals today.