Archon Fung
Director, Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation;
Winthrop Laflin McCormack Professor of Citizenship and Self-Government
Reimagining Democracy Program
Reimagining our political institutions to meet the democratic challenges of today.
To confront the growing challenges to democracy around the world, it’s time for new ideas.
Democracy requires deep and structural changes to survive and grow. The Ash Center’s Reimagining Democracy Program provides scholars and those on the frontlines of our democracy with a space for generating ambitious ideas and practices to make democracy more resilient, responsive, and inclusive.
Meet the Team
Tova Wang
Director of Research Projects in Democratic Practice
Upcoming Events
Democracy 2024: Implications for U.S. Democracy
In-Person Event
JFK Jr. Forum (79 John F. Kennedy St., Cambridge, MA 02138)
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST
The Latest News and Research
Commentary
The Electoral College and Our Broken Presidential Election System
Roughly 80 percent of the population who do not live in “swing states” lack a clear notion of what they “need to do” to actively support their candidates.
Q+A
Will Mobile Voting Defeat Gerrymandering and Increase Participation?
Video
Engaging Fans, Empowering Voters: How Professional Sports are Promoting Civic Engagement
The Ash Center hosted a discussion with representatives of the NBA, NFL Votes, the co-founder of Vet the Vote, and the Deputy Secretary of State of Georgia to discuss how these partnerships are succeeding at supporting voter participation and fair and secure elections.
Feature
Beyond the Ballot: Ensuring a Transparent, Secure, and Fair Election in 2024
Election integrity is under the microscope as we near the 2024 Presidential Election, and many Americans are apprehensive about election security, the timeframe of learning the results, and how peaceful the transfer of power will be.
Feature
In Swing States, Rest Assured: Election Officials Are Prepared for Anything
In a climate of growing distrust surrounding elections, election administrators play a pivotal role in safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process.
Video
Election Officials in Swing States and the 2024 Election
The Ash Center hosted a discussion with the heads of elections from Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and North Carolina to hear about their actions to ensure the election process is smooth and can be trusted.
Commentary
A Sudden Change at the Top: Was the Democratic Party’s Transition Truly Democratic?
Never in American history has a party shifted course as quickly and effectively as the Democratic Party did this summer. The rapid transition from Biden to Harris has left many wondering: Was this process truly democratic?
Feature
In Denver, a Model for Jail-Based Voting
Across the United States, hundreds of thousands of people in jail retain their right to vote while being held in pretrial detention, having not been convicted of a crime.
Commentary
What is Kamala Harris’s Story and Why Does it Matter So Much?
“In public life, if you don’t claim authorship of your own story, others will claim it for you.”
Q+A
Exiled Venezuelan opposition leader on the election, the protests, and the future of the country
HKS research fellow Freddy Guevara MC/MPA 2024 remains optimistic about a democratic transition and that the July election was the beginning of the end for the Maduro regime.
Policy Brief
Celebrities Strengthening Our Culture of Democracy
This study provides an analysis and evaluation of how celebrity engagement impacts civic participation in the United States. When and why do celebrities decide to use their influence to encourage civic engagement? What difference do their actions make?
Feature
Grassroots efforts to increase voting are gaining momentum in these states, even as other states make voting harder
Case Study
Jail-Based Voting in Denver: A Case Study
In this latest report on providing access to registration and voting for the hundreds of thousands of Americans being held in jails without having been convicted, Tova Wang looks at how Denver – and the State of Colorado – have become a model for the nation.
Video
Political Violence and the 2024 Presidential Election
This webinar convened scholars and practitioners in a conversation about how to de-escalate and sideline election-related violence in the wake of the assassination attempt against Donald Trump.
Feature
How Portland, Oregon Embraced Voting Reform — and Democratic Innovation
Portland, Oregon passed one of the most progressive voting reforms in the country. Max Kiefel, Nick Chedli Carter, and Archon Fung explore the motivating factors behind this big change.
