Open Access Resource
Open Book: Open-Source Budget Transparency for Municipalities
With a majority of municipalities publishing their budgets as PDFs, Open Book offers a free alternative that towns own and run themselves.
Research & Resources
Through our books, case studies, journal articles, papers, and surveys, the Ash Center is home to some of the world’s most advanced research and publications on issues related to democratic governance and self-governance.
To explore all research authored by Ash Center faculty, please visit the Harvard Kennedy School website. You can view the Ash Center’s open access policy here.
Newest
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?
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.
Additional Resource
Laws That Govern Jail-Based Voting: A 50-State Legal Review
As part of the Ash Center’s ongoing work examining the legal, political, and policy implications of advancing jail-based voting, Aaron Rosewood and Tova Wang examine the statutory basis for jail voting in each state.
Occasional Paper
Beyond the Sound and Fury: The Landscape of Curricular Contestation in Texas
In this new Occasional Paper from the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation, Hannah Kunzman and Danielle Allen offer a case study on contestation over K–12 civics curriculum in Texas.
2024: The Year of Global Elections
With over half the world’s population heading to the polls in 2024, the Ash Center convened scholars from across Harvard and beyond throughout the spring to delve into a number of election contents that are likely to shape the future of democracy across the globe. From India to Indonesia, El Savador to Taiwan, join us below as the Ash Center’s community of scholars delve into these important, and often underreported electoral contests.
Case Study
From Crisis to Opportunity: How the City of Portland Embraced Democratic Innovation
In this case study of democratic innovation at the local level, the authors answer the questions: Why, in 2022, was voting representation and democratic reform firmly on Portland’s agenda? Did this shift contribute to Portlanders passing Measure 26-228?
Video
CEA Conference: Sports Teams and Election Administrators: Partnering to Create Polling Place Access
Scott Pioli and Tova Wang discussed ways that sports franchises and election administrators have partnered to increase polling place access by opening up their facilities for elections.
Case Study
Voting in 2020: Professional Sports Stadiums & Arenas as Polling Places
The primary findings of this report are that sports facilities make excellent polling sites and team involvement in promoting voting is uniquely helpful in sharing the importance of participation.