Ash Center logo

Video  

Beyond Winner-Take-All: Possibilities for Proportional Voting in the United States

At a time when many are rightly concerned about the health of American democracy, scholars and reformers are evaluating proposals to make democracy more functional and representative. One such proposal is to move beyond the winner-take-all electoral system used at the federal and state levels in the United States to enable adoption of proportional voting systems. What would be the impact of proportional voting in the United States, and what will it take to enact it?

Join panelists Rob Richie, President and CEO of FairVote, Rebecca Chavez-Houck, Community Engagement Consultant and Former Utah State Legislator, and Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University in discussion. Archon Fung, Winthrop Laflin McCormack Professor of Citizenship and Self-Government at Harvard Kennedy School, Director of the Ash Center’s Democratic Governance Programs, moderated.

Programs

Reimagining Democracy Program

Issues

Democratic Reform

More from this Program

Conservatism and the Future of Democracy
Mike Pence and Stephen Richer.

Commentary

Conservatism and the Future of Democracy

When former Vice President Mike Pence visited Harvard’s Institute of Politics for a discussion on “The Future of Conservatism and American Democracy,” he was introduced not just by a moderator, but by a longtime friend and admirer — Ash Center Senior Fellow Stephen Richer. A former Republican officeholder, Richer has often cited Pence as a personal role model for integrity and constitutional fidelity. Their friendship added a layer of warmth and sincerity to an evening that balanced deep ideological reflection with a spirit of civility and mutual respect.

Trump Targets Domestic Terrorism, James Comey Indicted
Terms of Engagement

Podcast

Trump Targets Domestic Terrorism, James Comey Indicted

Archon Fung and Stephen Richer speak with Alex Whiting, Professor of Practice at Harvard Law School and an expert on criminal prosecution.

The Fight Over Free Speech
Terms of Engagement

Podcast

The Fight Over Free Speech

This week on Term of Engagement, co-hosts Archon Fung and Stephen Richer explore and debate the boundaries of free speech, threats to it, and the impact on our democracy.

 

More on this Issue

Why I’m Excited About the White House’s Proposal for a Higher Ed Compact
College students throwing graduation caps in the air with an American flag background.

Commentary

Why I’m Excited About the White House’s Proposal for a Higher Ed Compact

Last week’s leak of the U.S. Department of Education’s proposed “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” drew intense reactions across academia. Critics call it government overreach threatening free expression, while supporters see a chance for reform and renewed trust between universities and policymakers. Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University, director of the Democratic Knowledge Project and the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation, weighs in.

Setting the 2025-26 Agenda for the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation

Commentary

Setting the 2025-26 Agenda for the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation

Amid rising illiberalism, Danielle Allen urges a new agenda to renew democracy by reorienting institutions, policymaking, and civil society around the intentional sharing of power.

Ten ways to take down the political temperature
Graphic of two men yelling at each other.

Commentary

Ten ways to take down the political temperature

The intensification of political polarization in recent years has raised pressing concerns about the health of democratic discourse and the rise of political violence. Ash Center Senior Fellow Stephen Richer shares ten principles he believes provide a framework for fostering more constructive engagement: encouraging self-reflection, prioritizing substantive dialogue over hyperbole, and creating incentives that reward integrity and ideas rather than division.