News and Analysis

Read the latest news, commentary, and analysis from the Ash Center.

Protestors in front of an American flag.

Commentary

New data shows No Kings was one of the largest days of protest in US history

The historic number of No Kings Day protesters and their expansive geographic spread are signs of a growing and durable pro-democracy movement. This article was originally published in Waging Nonviolence.

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Trying to Understand Political Violence in the US
Terms of Engagement

Podcast

Trying to Understand Political Violence in the US

This week on Terms of Engagement, Alex Keyssar joins Archon Fung and Stephen Richer to examine the broader issue of political violence in the U.S.

Setting the 2025-26 Agenda for the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation

Commentary

Setting the 2025-26 Agenda for the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation

Amid rising illiberalism, Danielle Allen urges a new agenda to renew democracy by reorienting institutions, policymaking, and civil society around the intentional sharing of power.

Ten ways to take down the political temperature
Graphic of two men yelling at each other.

Commentary

Ten ways to take down the political temperature

The intensification of political polarization in recent years has raised pressing concerns about the health of democratic discourse and the rise of political violence. Ash Center Senior Fellow Stephen Richer shares ten principles he believes provide a framework for fostering more constructive engagement: encouraging self-reflection, prioritizing substantive dialogue over hyperbole, and creating incentives that reward integrity and ideas rather than division.

Governing with AI – Learning the How-To’s of AI-Enhanced Public Engagement

Feature

Governing with AI – Learning the How-To’s of AI-Enhanced Public Engagement

Public engagement has long been too time-consuming and costly for governments to sustain, but AI offers tools to make participation more systematic and impactful. Our new Reboot Democracy Workshop Series replaces lectures with hands-on sessions that teach the practical “how-to’s” of AI-enhanced engagement. Together with leading practitioners and partners at InnovateUS and the Allen Lab at Harvard, we’ll explore how AI can help institutions tap the collective intelligence of our communities more efficiently and effectively.

Court Blocks Trump’s Freeze of Harvard Funds — What’s Next?
Terms of Engagement

Podcast

Court Blocks Trump’s Freeze of Harvard Funds — What’s Next?

Archon Fung and Stephen Richer are joined by Andrew Crespo, Morris Wasserstein Public Interest Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, to discuss a recent court case that found the Trump Administration’s freeze of over $2 billion in federal grants to Harvard illegal.

 

Terms of Engagement – Election Administration Fight Forms
Terms of Engagement

Podcast

Terms of Engagement – Election Administration Fight Forms

Archon Fung and Stephen Richer discuss President Trump’s assertions about mail-in voting and what they portend for future elections and voter participation.

Terms of Engagement – From Cherry Blossoms to Checkpoints
Terms of Engagement

Podcast

Terms of Engagement – From Cherry Blossoms to Checkpoints

Juliette Kayyem joins Archon Fung and Stephen Richer to discuss the federal takeover of the D.C. police department and deployment of the National Guard in our nation’s capital. 

New data shows No Kings was one of the largest days of protest in US history
Protestors in front of an American flag.

Commentary

New data shows No Kings was one of the largest days of protest in US history

The historic number of No Kings Day protesters and their expansive geographic spread are signs of a growing and durable pro-democracy movement. This article was originally published in Waging Nonviolence.