Q+A
How Sports Fandom Strengthens Community Connection
New research from More in Common explores how sports connect Americans across differences and strengthen their community ties.
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.
Related Resources
Podcast
Terms of Engagement – Matthew Baum on What Voters Fear, What They Don’t Know and Where They Look
As the 2026 midterm elections approach, new research raises an urgent question: are Americans operating within fundamentally different information realities? In this episode, Professor Matthew Baum examines what voters know about election rules, where they get their information, and how partisan divides shape perceptions of the voting process.
Feature
In Appearance Before Congress, Stephen Richer Testifies at House Hearing on Alleged Noncitizen Voting in New Jersey
On Tuesday, September 15, 2026, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing featuring testimony from Stephen Richer, a former Maricopa County, Arizona, Recorder, election administration expert and Ash Senior Fellow.
The hearing examined allegations that approximately 6,600 noncitizens were improperly registered to vote in New Jersey between June 2023 and June 2024.
Feature
In Appearance Before Congress, Stephen Richer Testifies at House Hearing on Alleged Noncitizen Voting in New Jersey
On Tuesday, September 15, 2026, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing featuring testimony from Stephen Richer, a former Maricopa County, Arizona, Recorder, election administration expert and Ash Senior Fellow.
The hearing examined allegations that approximately 6,600 noncitizens were improperly registered to vote in New Jersey between June 2023 and June 2024.
Commentary
Allen Lab Fellow Spotlight: City Charters Are Deliberative Democracy’s Friends
Allen Lab Fellow Tyler Fisher examines the untapped potential of city charters as a vehicle for deliberative democracy, arguing that advocates should work to embed tools like citizen assemblies, participatory budgeting, and town meetings directly into the governing architecture of cities, institutionalizing deliberative democracy one municipality at a time.
Feature
Terms of Engagement Summer Reading List
Books, reports, and articles exploring the front lines of American politics and democracy, as featured on the Terms of Engagement podcast.