News and Analysis

Read the latest news, commentary, and analysis from the Ash Center.

Protestors in front of an American flag.

Commentary

New data shows No Kings was one of the largest days of protest in US history

The historic number of No Kings Day protesters and their expansive geographic spread are signs of a growing and durable pro-democracy movement. This article was originally published in Waging Nonviolence.

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Governing with AI – Learning the How-To’s of AI-Enhanced Public Engagement

Feature

Governing with AI – Learning the How-To’s of AI-Enhanced Public Engagement

Public engagement has long been too time-consuming and costly for governments to sustain, but AI offers tools to make participation more systematic and impactful. Our new Reboot Democracy Workshop Series replaces lectures with hands-on sessions that teach the practical “how-to’s” of AI-enhanced engagement. Together with leading practitioners and partners at InnovateUS and the Allen Lab at Harvard, we’ll explore how AI can help institutions tap the collective intelligence of our communities more efficiently and effectively.

Court Blocks Trump’s Freeze of Harvard Funds — What’s Next?
Terms of Engagement

Podcast

Court Blocks Trump’s Freeze of Harvard Funds — What’s Next?

Archon Fung and Stephen Richer are joined by Andrew Crespo, Morris Wasserstein Public Interest Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, to discuss a recent court case that found the Trump Administration’s freeze of over $2 billion in federal grants to Harvard illegal.

 

Terms of Engagement – Election Administration Fight Forms
Terms of Engagement

Podcast

Terms of Engagement – Election Administration Fight Forms

Archon Fung and Stephen Richer discuss President Trump’s assertions about mail-in voting and what they portend for future elections and voter participation.

Terms of Engagement – From Cherry Blossoms to Checkpoints
Terms of Engagement

Podcast

Terms of Engagement – From Cherry Blossoms to Checkpoints

Juliette Kayyem joins Archon Fung and Stephen Richer to discuss the federal takeover of the D.C. police department and deployment of the National Guard in our nation’s capital. 

New data shows No Kings was one of the largest days of protest in US history
Protestors in front of an American flag.

Commentary

New data shows No Kings was one of the largest days of protest in US history

The historic number of No Kings Day protesters and their expansive geographic spread are signs of a growing and durable pro-democracy movement. This article was originally published in Waging Nonviolence.

From South Texas to Cambridge, Josh Cortez Carries His Story Forward
Josh Cortez taking a picture on stairs at graduation

Feature

From South Texas to Cambridge, Josh Cortez Carries His Story Forward

When Josh Cortez crossed the stage to graduate from Harvard Kennedy School in May 2025 as a recipient of the Roy and Lila Ash Scholarship in Democracy, he carried more than a degree—he carried generations of heritage, grit, and purpose. His story doesn’t begin in Cambridge but hundreds of years earlier, on the banks of the Rio Grande in Starr County, Texas.