Read the latest news, commentary, and analysis from the Ash Center.
Feature
Developing and enforcing conflict of interest policies is no simple task for anti-corruption advocates and ethics officials alike. Archon Fung and Dennis Thompson help to better understand the problem and examine when risk is underestimated and when it is overestimated.
Newest
Q+A
Expecting to be returned to power with a resounding mandate, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party was instead humbled as India’s voters “sprung a surprise,” said HKS Assistant Professor of Public Policy Gautam Nair. Nair, who studies the politics of inequality and redistribution with a special focus on South Asia, discussed how handwringing over the erosion of India’s democracy under Modi may be premature as his Hindu nationalist message seemingly failed to resonate across much of the electorate.
Feature
This list, curated by the GETTING-Plurality Research Network at the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation, highlights a mix of foundational texts and new thinking on the timely issue of how AI will impact democracy, especially as we head into election season.
Feature
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.
Feature
The Ash Center’s Tova Wang and NFL executive Scott Pioli make the case for using sports stadiums as polling places this fall.
Feature
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 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.
Feature
In new paper, Danielle Allen explores how higher ed can play a role in promoting the health of our democracy.
Feature
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
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.