Video  

Engaging Fans, Empowering Voters: How Professional Sports are Promoting Civic Engagement

The Ash Center hosted a discussion with representatives of the NBA, NFL Votes, the co-founder of Vet the Vote, and the Deputy Secretary of State of Georgia to discuss how these partnerships are succeeding at supporting voter participation and fair and secure elections.

Photo of sports stadium seating from the aisles

Related Resources

Reimagining public understanding: Toward an institutional model
Two hands touching over a science network connection symbol.

Article

Reimagining public understanding: Toward an institutional model

In a new research article, Democracy Visiting Fellow Gordon Gauchat and co-author Kassandra Thompson offer an alternative framework for public understanding of science, focusing on “science’s role as a social system” shaped by institutional norms and practices, rather than traditional approaches centered on knowledge possession or trust in experts.

Terms of Engagement – The Fight for the Student Vote: Campus Democracy Under Pressure

Podcast

Terms of Engagement – The Fight for the Student Vote: Campus Democracy Under Pressure

Jen Domagal-Goldman, the executive director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, and Yael Bromberg, a constitutional rights attorney and leading scholar on the Twenty-Sixth Amendment, join Terms of Engagement to explore what’s at stake in the ongoing partisan battle over student voting rights and civic participation.

Terms of Engagement – Men Without Work: Is a Hidden Trend Fueling American Populism?

Podcast

Terms of Engagement – Men Without Work: Is a Hidden Trend Fueling American Populism?

American Enterprise Institute political economist Nicholas Eberstadt joints Terms of Engagement hosts Archon Fung and Stephen Richer to discuss falling male labor force participation and what he says are its effects on politics and society.

More on this Issue

What Boston’s World Cup Summer Showed Us About Sports and Civic Life

Commentary

What Boston’s World Cup Summer Showed Us About Sports and Civic Life

Thanks to the World Cup, Boston had an unforgettable summer. In this commentary, the Ash Center’s Tova Wang and former New England Patriots executive Scott Pioli break down how the city can harness that energy to build stronger communities and transform local sports culture year-round.

Surveying Sportsmanship as a Framework for Civility
A red and blue graphic with versus in the middle at a sports stadium.

Q+A

Surveying Sportsmanship as a Framework for Civility

Sports may seem far removed from the challenges facing American democracy, but both rely on a shared commitment to rules, competition, and respect for opponents. As political polarization deepens, some scholars are looking beyond traditional civic institutions and asking whether the values that govern athletics can help strengthen democratic life. New research from the Ronald Reagan Center on Civility and Democracy suggests the answer may be yes.

Reimagining Democracy 2026 Summer Reading List
A collage of book covers, podcasts, and reports from the Reimagining Democracy summer reading list.

Feature

Reimagining Democracy 2026 Summer Reading List

Tova Wang, director of research projects in democratic practice at the Ash Center, shares her top picks for summer reads focused on making democracy more resilient, responsive, and inclusive.