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
Article
Enforcing Labour Standards in Fissured Workplaces: The US Experience
Big brands keep the reputation and the profits — so who’s actually on the hook when labor laws get broken? David Weil’s “fissured workplace” theory has an answer, and it’s not the one regulators have been using.
Book
A Hacker’s Mind: How the Powerful Bend Society’s Rules, and How to Bend them Back
Additional Resource
American Indian Self-Determination Through Self-Governance: The Only Policy That Has Ever Worked
“The onset of tribal self-determination through self-government in the late 1980s ushered in the only policy that has ever worked to improve economic and social conditions in Indian Country.”
Policy Brief
Economic and Social Impacts of Restrictions on the Applicability of Federal Indian Policies to the Wabanaki Nations in Maine
The subjugation of the Wabanaki Nation’s self-governing capacities is blocking economic development to the detriment of both tribal and nontribal citizens, alike.
Policy Brief
Considerations for Federal and State Landback
This policy brief showcases how geographic information system (GIS) techniques can be used to identify public and/or protected land in relation to current and historic reservation boundaries, and presents maps showcasing the scope of landback opportunities.
Book
In Praise of Skepticism: Trust but Verify
Book
Democracy in Hard Places
In Democracy in Hard Places, Scott Mainwaring and Tarek Masoud bring together a distinguished cast of contributors to illustrate how democracies around the world continue to survive even in an age of democratic decline.
Policy Brief
Ensuring All Votes Count: Reducing Rejected Ballots
Policy Brief
Strengthening Models of Civic Engagement: Community-Informed Approaches to Inclusive and Equitable Decision-Making
For too long the federal policymaking process has been mysterious and inaccessible to everyone but the most sophisticated, elite stakeholders. This brief showcases three major takeaways and policy recommendations for key stakeholders.