News and Analysis
Read the latest news, commentary, and analysis from the Ash Center.
Newest
Video
Democracy on the Precipice?
On Thursday, March 9, 2023, Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation Director Archon Fung, Winthrop Laflin McCormack Professor of Citizenship and Self-Government at the Harvard Kennedy School, spoke to Kennedy School community members about threats to American democracy and how we can overcome them.
Video
Book Talk – A Hacker’s Mind: How the Powerful Bend Society’s Rules, and How to Bend them Back
You’re invited to watch a book talk with Harvard Kennedy School’s Bruce Schneier, author of “A Hacker’s Mind: How the Powerful Bend Society’s Rules, and How to Bend them Back.” Schneier was joined in conversation by moderator Archon Fung, Director of the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation and Winthrop Laflin McCormack Professor of Citizenship and Self-Government.
Feature
How AI Could Take Over Elections—And Undermine Democracy
Feature
There’s still something in the water
During a discussion at Harvard Kennedy School, activists featured in the film “There’s Something in the Water” warn that environmental racism continues to stymie efforts for clean water in Black and Indigenous communities in Nova Scotia.
Feature
As attacks on campus diversity programs grow, HKS researchers point to evidence that equity and inclusion programs strengthen higher ed outcomes
Diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts may have a political target on them, but the scholarly literature is clear that they help universities recruit, retain, and teach a more racially diverse pool of talented students and faculty, says the Kennedy School’s Khalil Gibran Muhammad.
Feature
In a tight labor market, some states look to another type of worker: Children
Featuring David Weil
Commentary
We Don’t Need to Reinvent our Democracy to Save it from AI
When is it time to start worrying about artificial intelligence interfering in our democracy? Maybe when an AI writes a letter to The New York Times opposing the regulation of its own technology.
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consortium: Echoes of Police Violence
Q+A
‘Generative CI’ through Collective Response Systems
How can many people (who may disagree) come together to answer a question or make a decision?