Read the latest news, commentary, and analysis from the Ash Center.
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American Spring? How nonviolent protest in the US is accelerating
Contrary to conventional wisdom, the size and scale of anti-Trump protests this year have dwarfed those in 2017, and they have been extraordinarily peaceful. This article was originally published in Waging Nonviolence.
Conference on the Political Economy of AI Podcast Episodes
Check out the podcast episodes from the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation’s Conference on the Political Economy of AI to glean insights from each panel.
This semester, Ash Center researchers offered a solution to partisan gerrymandering, provided real-time data on protests across the country, outlined a pathway for better AI development, and more.
From a fictional thriller to a leading report on Native children, the HKS Project on Indigenous Governance and Development shares recommendations for must-reads this summer.
India’s Surprising Election Results A “Watershed Moment”
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.
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.
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.