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Marcus Board Jr. on Harvard University's campus.

Feature

A More Perfect Union: Marcus Board Jr. On Bridging Practice and Scholarship

For Marcus Board Jr., democracy has never been just an academic subject—it has always been about people. As a 2025-2027 Democracy Visiting Fellow at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School, the Howard University political scientist explores how scholarship and community practice can work together to strengthen democracy.  

In this conversation, Board reflects on the experiences, ideas and relationships that have shaped his work.

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The Other “Big Lie” and Our Democratic Fragility

The Other “Big Lie” and Our Democratic Fragility

Reflecting on the 20th anniversary of the Iraq War, Archon Fung argues that misinformation about the existence of weapons of mass destruction damaged American democracy for decades to come.

How AI could write our laws

Commentary

How AI could write our laws

ChatGPT and other AIs could supercharge the influence of lobbyists—but only if we let them.

Democracy on the Precipice?

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.

Book Talk – A Hacker’s Mind: How the Powerful Bend Society’s Rules, and How to Bend them Back

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.

There’s still something in the water
body of water and land from afar and high in the sky

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.

As attacks on campus diversity programs grow, HKS researchers point to evidence that equity and inclusion programs strengthen higher ed outcomes
Photo of colorful classroom chairs in rows

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.