Policy Brief
AI for Democracy Movements: Toward a New Agenda
A new report summarizes key insights from the Nonviolent Action Lab’s December 2025 convening on how artificial intelligence can empower pro-democracy movements.
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
Podcast
Terms of Engagement—Election Administration Fight Forms
Archon Fung and Stephen Richer discuss President Trump’s assertions about mail-in voting and what they portend for future elections and voter participation.
Podcast
Terms of Engagement—From Cherry Blossoms to Checkpoints
Juliette Kayyem joins Archon Fung and Stephen Richer to discuss the federal takeover of the D.C. police department and deployment of the National Guard in our nation’s capital.
Podcast
Terms of Engagement—South Park and the Power of Political Parody
New York Times Opinion Columnist Michelle Goldberg joins Stephen Richer and Archon Fung to discuss “South Park” and the role political satires play in political discourse.
Podcast
Terms of Engagement—The Great American Redistrict-Off
A fight is brewing between some of America’s largest states. A line has been drawn, not in the sand, but on a Texas map.
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?
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.
Podcast
Terms of Engagement—Democracy: The Worst Form of Government — Except All the Rest?
A majority of people agree that democracy is worth fighting for, but when asked if democracy is at risk, opinions begin to differ. Are we all operating under the same idea of what a democracy truly is?
Podcast
Terms of Engagement—ICE Expansion, Raids, Protests, and Democracy
From rank-choice voting to reconciliation, American democracy is headline news. Let’s talk about it.
Additional Resource
Experiential Civic Learning for American Democracy
A new report provides a clear, actionable framework for effective experiential civic learning—what it is, why it matters, and how to do it well.