Policy Brief
Labor Unions and Civic Participation: How Unions Can Increase Member Engagement
A new policy brief explores how unions help members become more engaged in civic and political life.
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
How To Improve Workplace Safety
A new OSHA rule, taking effect in 2017, will require large employers and those in high-risk industries to electronically report injury and illness data. Elena Fagotto argues the added transparency will help employers benchmark safety performance and let OSHA target its limited inspection resources more effectively.
Article
Do Nutritional Labels Work?
The FDA’s new nutrition labels will more clearly show added sugar, calorie counts, and realistic serving sizes, and are being praised by health advocates as key to fighting obesity. However, Elena Fagotto argues these improved labels may not actually help the people who need them most.
Occasional Paper
Building a Democracy Machine: Toward an Integrated and Empowered Form of Civic Engagement
Book
Democracy Reinvented: Participatory Budgeting and Civic Innovation in America
Policy Brief
Engaging Citizens: Participatory Budgeting and the Inclusive Governance Movement within the United States
Article
A Government Both More Secretive and More Open
The U.S. Government has been hiding secrets — and handing us the files to catch it. Mary Graham discusses two rival books, one wild truth: the same Cold War decades that built America’s secrecy machine also sparked the fight for FOIA, honest food labels, and the public’s “right to know.” Turns out secrecy and sunlight grow side by side.
Article
Too Much Information
Transparency isn’t magic: menu calorie counts and credit card disclosures actually change behavior, but sex offender registries and privacy policies often backfire or go ignored — the difference is whether people have real choices and the information is presented simply, argue Elena Fagotto and Archon Fung.
Book
The Arab Spring: Pathways of Repression and Reform
Why did regime change take place in only four Arab countries and why has democratic change proved so elusive in the countries that made attempts? This book attempts to answer those questions.
Book