Feature
The Past, Present, and Future of Democracy—A Summer Reading List from the Allen Lab
As we celebrate America’s 250th, the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation is reflecting on how we arrived at this moment and where we are headed.
News and Analysis
Read the latest news, commentary, and analysis from the Ash Center.
Newest
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Priya Millward MPP ’24 highlights neighborhood associations as civic participation building blocks
As some of the oldest civic organizations in Boston, neighborhood associations are integral to the city’s local politics. Millward examines who participates, and how to make these groups more inclusive.
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Sports Franchises and Election Administrators Team Up to Create New Polling Places
The Ash Center’s Tova Wang and NFL executive Scott Pioli make the case for using sports stadiums as polling places this fall.
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Conference on the Political Economy of AI
Experts gathered at the Allen Lab conference to examine the incentives and structures of AI development, as well as to discuss the past, present, and potential future of steering AI towards better serving the public interest.
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consortium: An Empirical Overview of Recent Pro-Palestine Protests at U.S. Schools
Crowd Counting Consortium data show more than 3,700 days with pro-Palestinian protest activity at over 500 U.S. schools since October 7, 2023, including encampments at more than 130 of them.
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Can Higher Ed Renew Our Democracy?
In new paper, Danielle Allen explores how higher ed can play a role in promoting the health of our democracy.
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Could deliberative democracy ameliorate democratic backsliding? Two HKS students believe it might.
As concerns for the health of democracy mount, Medha Uniyal and Kartikeya Bhatotia consider one particular “experimental democratic practice” that could increase connectivity between citizens and decision-making processes.
Podcast
Episode Three: The SCOTUS Marches
In episode three of the Nonviolent Action Lab podcast, host Jay Ulfelder talks with two people at the heart of DC-area protests against the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
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AI and the 2024 Elections
From misinformation to AI panic, experts joined the Allen Lab’s GETTING-Plurality event to discuss the threats the burgeoning technology poses to democracy.
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Representative Barbara Lee on the Imperative of Reparative Justice
At the Global Justice, Truth-Telling, and Healing Symposium, Lee speaks on how we can interrupt the cycle of inaction when it comes to reparative justice in the United States.