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Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation

Renovating democratic institutions for the 21st century

Andy Feliciotti, Unslpash

The Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation develops the policy innovations needed to achieve healthy democracy in the 21st century. Healthy democracy today must deliver responsive representation and effective decision-making for large, complex, heterogeneous, digitally-powered societies operating in a globalized economy. Our multidisciplinary community of scholars, practitioners, and partner organizations work together to shepherd concepts and reforms into practice — to translate research into impact.

Research Workstreams

The lab currently supports four key research workstreams:

  • New Frameworks for Political Economy
  • Technology and Democracy: Learn more about our work here.
  • Universal Civic Learning Policy
  • Governance Mechanisms

Lab Staff


Danielle Allen
Headshot of Danielle Allen

Danielle Allen

Professor of Public Policy, James Bryant Conant University Professor

Sarah Hubbard

Sarah Hubbard

Associate Director for Technology & Democracy

Lab Members


Ben Barsky

Lab Affiliate; Assoc. Professor, UCSF Law School

Mathis Bitton

Doctoral Student, Harvard Government Department

Naomi Corlette

Harvard College

Charlie Covit

Researcher, Harvard College

Emma Ebowe

Doctoral Student, Harvard Government Department

Keren Elmore

Harvard College

Ami Fields-Meyer
Headshot of Ami Fields-Meyer

Ami Fields-Meyer

Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation
July 2024-June 2026

Cynthia Garcia

Researcher, Harvard College

Brian Highsmith

Doctoral Student, Harvard Government Department

Yen-Lin Huang
Yen-Lin Huang's headshot

Yen-Lin Huang

Non-resident Policy Fellow, AY2025-2026

Hannah Kunzman

Researcher;
Doctoral Student, Harvard Government Department

Alex Pascal

Lab Affiliate; Executive Director, Berkman Klein Center

Priyanka Sethy

Doctoral Student, Harvard Government Department

Allison Stanger

Allison Stanger

Senior Fellow, Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation;
Co-Director and Co-Investigator, GETTING-Plurality Research Network
Feb. 2024-Jan. 2026

Sam Wang
Sam Wang's headshot

Sam Wang

Policy Fellow, AY2025-2026

Paulius Yamin
Paulius Yamin's headshot

Paulius Yamin

Non-resident Policy Fellow, AY2025-2026

Lab Alumni


Felix Chen

Harvard College

Sofia Corona

Researcher, Harvard College

Caroline Curran

Researcher, Harvard College

Owen Ebose

Researcher, Harvard College

Eli Frankel

Researcher, Harvard College

Conner Huey

Researcher, Harvard College

David Knight

Principal Investigator;
Post-Doctoral Fellow, Columbia University

Woojin Lim

Researcher, Harvard College

Cris Moore

Professor, Santa Fe Institute

Saddat Nazir

Researcher, Harvard College

Charlotte Ritz-Jack

Researcher, Harvard College

Christian Schmidt

Researcher;
Master in Urban Planning Candidate, Harvard Graduate School of Design

Tessel van Oirsouw

Tessel van Oirsouw

EthicAI and Former Visiting Fellow, Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation

Jama Willis

Communications, Harvard College

Upcoming Events


Ash Center Open House

Ash Center Open House

In-Person Event

Ash Center Foyer, Suite 200, 124 Mount Auburn Street
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm EDT

Photo of Gloria Ayee hugging another event goer.

The Latest News and Research


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Technology and Democracy: What to Read This Summer
A collection of books from the GETTING-Plurality Research Network.

Feature

Technology and Democracy: What to Read This Summer

This list of resources, curated by the GETTING-Plurality Research Network at the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation, highlights emerging ideas at the intersection of technology and democracy.

A Summer Reading List for America’s 250th Anniversary
A collection of books curated by the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation.

Feature

A Summer Reading List for America’s 250th Anniversary

On July 4, 2026, America will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. As this milestone approaches, the team at the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation has curated a collection of books, podcasts, and events that explore the meaning and impact of the declaration from 1776 to today. Join us in revisiting the document itself, reflecting on its legacy, and considering the ongoing struggle to uphold democratic ideals.

Experiential Civic Learning for American Democracy
An image of the report with an American flag in the background.

Additional Resource

Experiential Civic Learning for American Democracy

A new report provides a clear, actionable framework for effective experiential civic learning—what it is, why it matters, and how to do it well.

Utah Digital Choice Act: Reshaping Social Media

Additional Resource

Utah Digital Choice Act: Reshaping Social Media

The bipartisan Utah Digital Choice Act aims to reform the social media ecosystem by giving users more choice and ownership over their personal data, while encouraging platform innovation and competition.

Stay updated on the Allen Lab’s most recent news and events

Weaponized AI: A New Era of Threats and How We Can Counter It

Commentary

Weaponized AI: A New Era of Threats and How We Can Counter It

Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation Fellow Dr. Shlomit Wagman lays out a framework to address the threats artificial intelligence poses to global security and democratic institutions.

Why US States Are the Best Labs for Public AI

Additional Resource

Why US States Are the Best Labs for Public AI

In a recent piece for Tech Policy Press, Allen Lab Senior Fellow Alex Pascal and Nathan Sanders outline how US states are well-positioned to lead the development of Public AI. State governments can act as “laboratories of twenty-first century democracy” to experiment with AI applications that directly benefit citizens.

Understanding DOGE and Your Data
DOGE

Additional Resource

Understanding DOGE and Your Data

Over the past several weeks, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) within the Trump Administration has been embedding staff in a range of United States federal agencies. These staff have gained access to data maintained by the federal government. This guide explains what is in the data, what DOGE is doing with it, and why it matters to all Americans.

A Roadmap for Governing AI: Technology Governance and Power-Sharing Liberalism

Open Access Resource

A Roadmap for Governing AI: Technology Governance and Power-Sharing Liberalism

This paper aims to provide a roadmap for governing AI. In contrast to the reigning paradigms, we argue that AI governance should be not merely a reactive, punitive, status-quo-defending enterprise, but rather the expression of an expansive, proactive vision for technology—to advance human flourishing.

The Tech Coup: How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley

Video

The Tech Coup: How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley

The Ash Center hosted an online book talk with author Marietje Schaake and discussant Bruce Schneier on Schaake’s latest work, The Tech Coup: How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley. The discussion was moderated by Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor and Director of the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation.

The Role of AI in the 2024 Elections

Additional Resource

The Role of AI in the 2024 Elections

The year 2024 was dubbed “the largest election year in global history” with half the world’s population voting in national elections. Earlier this year, we hosted an event on AI and the 2024 Elections where scholars spoke about the potential influence of artificial intelligence on the election cycle– from misinformation to threats on election infrastructure. This webinar offered a reflection and exploration of the impacts of technology on the 2024 election landscape.