Join the Ash Center; Tufts University’s Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life; Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at Harvard University; and Black Student Union at Harvard Kennedy School for a conversation with Heather McGhee, a leading voice in the national conversation on systemic racism and its consequences, and the author of the recently released book, The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together. The book is a personal journey and a powerful examination of the debilitating economic and social consequences of...
Support for populist right-wing parties and candidates has increased considerably across the globe in recent years. In addition to this overall rise in support, receptiveness towards the exclusionary, reactionary rhetoric and policies of Bolsonaro, Trump, Modi or their European counterparts all have their own distinct electoral geographies. Join Ash Center Democracy Postdoctoral Fellow Pauliina Patana and a global panel of experts as they discuss how to make sense of these deep geographic divides, similarities and differences in spatial patterns across countries, strategies parties are...
The 2020 elections hinged, in dramatic ways, on widely varying state laws and state election procedures. Major changes were made in light of the pandemic, to expand options for mail-in and early voting and to Election Day itself. These changes engendered strong support and strong opposition, and were one reason for the record turnout of 160 million voters. Now, state legislatures are in session all around the country. Will the changes adopted in 2020 be made permanent? Will voting options be expanded further? Or will states seek to roll back voting opportunities as a result? Join us for...
The January 6 Capitol insurrection shows that the United States is facing exceptional challenges to our democracy. Lee Drutman, Senior Fellow in the Political Reform Program at the New America Foundation, thinks that our two-party system is a root cause of that dysfunction. Although we have had a two-party system in name for many decades, there were divisions and overlaps between parties that created room for bargaining, compromise, crossing over, and even unity. In our current state of hyper-polarization, however, the two parties are fully sorted, and this give-and-take has eroded into...
At this moment, the attention of the country is sharply focused on the state of Georgia. Just two months after a breathtakingly narrow election, one in which the mechanisms of democracy and the performance of the officials who administered it were severely tested, the voters of Georgia will make another high-stakes decision on January 5. While the candidates and the media are mostly focused on who will win the two Senate runoff races, there is another crucial set of dynamics at work about the voting process itself. We want to look at what efforts are taking place to...
As the smoke (slowly) clears from the 2020 elections, advocates for full participation and democracy reform are charting a path forward. In Congress and in state legislatures, the lessons of 2020 and the new contours of politics will shape efforts going forward. What is the terrain reformers will confront, what are the reforms being proposed, and what are the prospects for success, short term and long term? The Ash Center is pleased to pose these questions to four leading democracy advocates and election experts:... Read more about Looking Forward: The Paths and Prospects for Democracy Reform
While it is way too early for a ‘retrospective’ given just how extraordinary this year’s election has been, we do now know a lot about the voting processes up to and including Election Day. The 2020 elections were a dramatic interplay of major procedural changes brought about as a result of COVID-19, multiple attempts to limit and discourage voting and a strong pushback against them, and extraordinary efforts to mobilize citizens to vote. The Ash Center is glad to bring four deeply immersed leaders in these areas to share what they saw and...
This event concluded on September 10, 2020. View the original description and event recording below.
Activists and practitioners were already preparing for a tumultuous election year before the COVID-19 pandemic hit our shores. Now, the months ahead present immense challenges – and opportunities – for redefining how civic engagement is practiced for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities.
This event concluded on August 5, 2020. View the original description and event recording below.
Health care is the single most important issue for most Americans, yet 51 million people forego a considerable amount of influence in shaping our nation’s health policy by not registering to...
