A row of voting booths are set up atop a folding table

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


Archon Fung
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Archon Fung

Director, Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation;
Winthrop Laflin McCormack Professor of Citizenship and Self-Government

Tova Wang
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Tova Wang

Director of Research Projects in Democratic Practice

Christina Marchand

Christina Marchand

Senior Associate Director, Center-wide Democracy Initiatives

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

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The Latest News and Research


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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.

Terms of Engagement – Censorship by Settlement?
Terms of Engagement

Podcast

Terms of Engagement – Censorship by Settlement?

What does Columbia’s recent settlement with the Trump administration mean for higher education? Are the First Amendment rights of Columbia and other universities being infringed?

Chicago’s Solution To Public Pension Debt is a Generational Scam
Chicago's skyline with a graphic of hands holding money.

Article

Chicago’s Solution To Public Pension Debt is a Generational Scam

In this op-ed, Jennifer Hochschild explains that Chicago is facing a financial crisis decades in the making — a crushing burden of pension debt that no current resident created but all must bear. Instead she says, it is the result of a century of political promises, underfunded commitments, and systemic avoidance — leaving Chicagoans to reckon with the consequences today.

Stay updated on Reimagining Democracy’s most recent news and events.

In Appearance Before Congress, Bruce Schneier Raises Concerns about DOGE Data Handling Practices
Cyber image of a lock on a computer screen

Feature

In Appearance Before Congress, Bruce Schneier Raises Concerns about DOGE Data Handling Practices

In a warning to lawmakers, cybersecurity expert Bruce Schneier testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sharply criticizing the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) handling of federal data. Describing DOGE’s security protocols as dangerously inadequate, Schneier warned that the agency’s practices have put sensitive government and citizen information at risk of exploitation by foreign adversaries and criminal networks.

Stephen Richer’s Summer Reading List
A collection of books curated by Stephen Richer.

Feature

Stephen Richer’s Summer Reading List

The official start of Summer is almost here, and Stephen Richer, Senior Practice Fellow in American Democracy and former elected Maricopa County Recorder, shares his summer reading list with a range of books focused on his work of democracy and elections, as well as his personal favorites.

 

The 2024 Presidential Election: The Broken Bond Between Youth and Democracy
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Policy Brief

The 2024 Presidential Election: The Broken Bond Between Youth and Democracy

The 2024 election saw Donald Trump make significant gains among young voters, increasing his support among 18- to 29-year-olds by 10 percentage points. This report aims to investigate the deeper issues at stake that are causing this historical shift.

Labor in the Courts: How Unions Have Stood Up for Workers’ Rights During the First 100 Days
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Feature

Labor in the Courts: How Unions Have Stood Up for Workers’ Rights During the First 100 Days

In its first 100 days, the Trump administration has taken sweeping, aggressive action against federal employees, impacting hundreds of thousands of workers and sending ripple effects across the country. Still, unions have stood strong, with the AFL-CIO, AFT, AFSCME, SEIU, and others filing over a dozen lawsuits to protect workers’ rights.

The Voter Experience
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Commentary

The Voter Experience

Despite these unprecedented investments in mobilizing voters, overall trust in electoral health, democratic institutions, voter satisfaction, and electoral engagement have significantly declined. What might we be missing? Bruce Schneier and Hillary Lehr explore ways to enhance the voter experience in elections.

Information Inequality Can Be a Matter of Life or Death
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Commentary

Information Inequality Can Be a Matter of Life or Death

In this paper, Mary W. Graham, co-director of the Center’s Transparency Policy Project, explores the unintended information inequities that weaken the nation’s vital health and safety alerts. By examining three policies — wildfire alerts, drinking water reports, and auto safety recalls — she suggests common sources of inequality problems and steps policy makers are taking to remedy them.

The Power of Grassroots Organizing on Pro-Voter Reform
Cover photo of the report

Policy Brief

The Power of Grassroots Organizing on Pro-Voter Reform

Tova Wang and Melina Geser-Stark argue that while grassroots advocacy has been pivotal in advancing voting rights, it remains overshadowed by the perception that voter reform is the domain of political elites — a view this paper challenges by examining how grassroots efforts mirror modern social movements and drive the push for a more inclusive democracy.