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.
Civic Engagement
At the Ash Center, we’re generating new ideas and insights for the future of civic engagement — everything from voter participation to democratic deliberation.
Related Programs
Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation, American Politics Speaker Series, Nonviolent Action Lab, Reimagining Democracy Program
Civic engagement — from voting to volunteering — is the engine that drives democracy forward. Robust citizen participation at every level of government provides the feedback that democratic systems require to be responsive and productive.
But what happens when people are systemically shut out of deliberation? Can we boost declining voting rates? How will we create a culture of civic engagement in an increasingly digital, AI-influenced world?
These are the questions the Ash Center community works to answer.
Our programs generate novel ideas about making civic engagement more robust, enabling everyone to participate. Ash scholars are researching how citizens can better provide input into government programs, processes, and policies. Together, we are developing a blueprint for what the future of civic engagement can look like.
We encourage you to explore the below events, research, and commentary to learn more about our work.
The Latest News, Research, and Resources
Case Study
Jail-Based Voting in the District of Columbia: A Case Study
Commentary
Nonwhite people are drastically underrepresented in local government
Elected representatives in government don’t always look like the people they serve.
Video
Problems at the Polls? Election Administration in the Midterms
The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Institute of Politics, and HKS Black Alumni Association invited folks to watch a discussion with former West Virginia Secretary of State and current Institute of Politics Fellow Natalie Tennant, and Ash Center’s Tova Wang for a discussion on running an election in turbulent times.
Feature
Re-envisioning a new Black agenda for Boston
David Corbie MPA 2023 is sparking a new conversation about how to shift the paradigm in Boston and strengthen opportunities for the city’s Black community
Video
Book Talk: The Government of Chance — Sortition and Politics from Athens to the Present
The Ash Center invites you to watch a book talk and series of panel discussions to mark the publication of The Government of Chance: Sortition and Politics from Athens to the Present (Cambridge University Press, 2023) by Yves Sintomer, Ash Center Visiting Democracy Fellow; Professor of Political Science, Paris 8 University; and Associate Member, Nuffield College, University of Oxford. Jane Suiter, Professor of Political Communication at Dublin City University chaired the discussion.
Case Study
Civic Engagement in Somerville: Joe Curtatone’s Story of How Community Activism Powered a Remarkable Urban Renaissance
In this case study, the former mayor of Somerville, Joe Curtatone, reflects on his 18 years in office and illuminates the many ways in which civic engagement enabled Somerville’s renaissance.
Video
Breaking Barriers: AAPI Trailblazers in State Government
The Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia hosted a conversation with AAPI members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, Rep. Tram T. Nguyen MC/MPA ’24 and Rep. Tackey Chan on the importance of AAPI representation in state government, policy issues that impact AAPI communities, and running for office.
Policy Brief
Strengthening Models of Civic Engagement: Community-Informed Approaches to Inclusive and Equitable Decision-Making
For too long the federal policymaking process has been mysterious and inaccessible to everyone but the most sophisticated, elite stakeholders. This brief showcases three major takeaways and policy recommendations for key stakeholders.
Video
Non-Citizen Voting in Boston: The Next Step for Expanding the Franchise?
As efforts get underway to expand the franchise to non-citizens in Boston, the Ash Center and the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston hosted a conversation to learn about how non-citizen voting once was the norm and how it’s making a comeback.
Video
Should voting be a right or a requirement?
Harvard Ash Center Senior Practice Fellow in American Democracy Miles Rapoport advocates that universal voting, a requirement that every citizen cast a ballot, could reduce polarization and pave a pathway to a more equitable American democracy.
Video
Courting the AAPI Vote: How Political Parties Plan to Reach AAPI Voters in the 2022 Elections
The 2020 election saw a dramatic increase in Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) voter participation—increasing ten percentage points over 2016. In the runup to the 2022 midterm elections, how will political parties continue to court AAPI voters? What strategies work to reach the growing AAPI community?
Policy Brief
Designing for Community Engagement: Toward More Equitable Civic Participation in the Federal Regulatory Process
The programs and rules that affect Americans’ daily lives and security are profoundly shaped by the regulatory and rule-making process within the Executive Branch of government.
Video
Getting Past Partisanship and Polarization: Community Civic Infrastructure
In this panel discussion, community organizers, leaders, and democracy advocates explored examples from communities all over the country where this is working today. Then, they discussed the challenge of replicating and expanding community civic infrastructure initiatives across the country.
Video
Transforming Boston: A Black and Brown Justice Agenda for the New Mayor
The Ash Center, Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, Center for Public Leadership, FXB Center for Health and Human Rights, and the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston hosted a conversation on the urgent issues – from education and housing to economic development and communal violence – that the next mayor of Boston must address to rectify structural inequities and support Black and Brown communities.