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.
Video
A recent event explored how sports have shaped movements for racial justice, gender equality, religious freedom, LGBTQ+ rights, disability rights and broader inclusion in the United States.
Newest
Policy Brief
Survey nearly 10,000 hourly workers at 67 of the country’s largest service-sector employers — Walmart, Waffle House, Amazon — and you’d expect their politics to split them on everything. Instead, 78 percent of MAGA-identified workers and 96 percent of Harris voters back a $15 minimum wage, and across the board, workers converge on the same figure for what it would actually take to get by: $24 an hour, 40 hours a week. What they’re actually paid falls $7 short. The bigger problem may not be the wage gap at all — it’s who workers think is responsible for closing it.
Additional Resource
Published as the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, the Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights’ essay collection “Self-Evident Truths” gathers faculty and fellows across Harvard’s schools including the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, to examine how well America has fulfilled its promise that all people are created equal and endowed with inalienable rights.
The included essays span democracy, technology, public health, immigration, climate, and more, providing a nuanced look at what is required to fully realize the nation’s founding ideals today.
As state and local election officials navigate complex problems, what practical solutions can strengthen their work today and equip them for the challenges ahead? A recent piece in electionline Weekly highlights the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation’s Executive Session on Elections and Election Administration, bringing together a small, bipartisan group of state and local election officials, academics, and experts to develop innovative strategies for addressing the most pressing challenges in election administration.
Paper
As traditional news declines, content creators play a growing role as information sources. This paper proposes frameworks for effective collaboration between creators and election officials and offers recommendations for officials to develop their own social media content.
Additional Resource
This resource provides accessible, reliable information on constitutional history and the roles and responsibilities involved in administering congressional elections in the United States, with the goal of advancing civic understanding among government officials, media, civic organizations, and the American public.
Policy Brief
Technology has enriched the lives of Americans with novel communication choices. It has also made it more difficult to reach everyone in emergencies. In a new policy brief, Mary W. Graham, senior fellow at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, explores this new paradox of the digital transition.
Article
A new research article by Randy Akee, Julie Johnson Kidd Professor of Indigenous Governance and Development and Director of the Project on Indigenous Governance and Development, and co-authors examines enduring consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic among American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) populations.
Policy Brief
A new policy brief by Jon Alexander, Non-resident Democracy Fellow at the Ash Center, argues for the development of a Department of Citizen Empowerment (DOCE) at all levels of government around the world.
Article
A new chapter in APSA Preprints by Archon Fung, Winthrop Laflin McCormack Professor of Citizenship and Self-Government and Director of the Ash Center, Bailey Flanigan, former postdoctoral fellow at the Ash Center and co-authors explores how generative AI is reshaping four dimensions of democratic practice—political campaigns, election administration, social movements, and citizen deliberation. The authors argue that AI’s ultimate democratic impact will depend less on the technology itself, and more on how institutions and leaders implement and regulate it.