Video  

Book Talk: How to Steal A Presidential Election

On April 30, the Ash Center hosted a book talk with Lawrence Lessig and Matt Seligman, authors of How to Steal a Presidential Election (Yale, 2024). The discussion was moderated by Ian Bassin, co-founder and Executive Director of Protect Democracy.

Related Resources

Terms of Engagement – Thomas Hicks on the Gutting of the Election Assistance Commission

Podcast

Terms of Engagement – Thomas Hicks on the Gutting of the Election Assistance Commission

Thomas Hicks, who was fired as head of the federal Election Assistance Commission on July 9 when President Donald Trump dismissed all three serving commissioners, joins Terms of Engagement to discuss what the agency does and what the move might mean for the upcoming midterms and future elections.

A More Perfect Union: Marcus Board Jr. On Bridging Practice and Scholarship
Marcus Board Jr. on Harvard University's campus.

Feature

A More Perfect Union: Marcus Board Jr. On Bridging Practice and Scholarship

For Marcus Board Jr., democracy has never been just an academic subject—it has always been about people. As a 2025-2027 Democracy Visiting Fellow at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School, the Howard University political scientist explores how scholarship and community practice can work together to strengthen democracy.  

In this conversation, Board reflects on the experiences, ideas, and relationships that have shaped his work.

Terms of Engagement—Kakistocracy, Populism, and Elites in American Politics

Podcast

Terms of Engagement—Kakistocracy, Populism, and Elites in American Politics

Richard Hanania, a writer and former alt-right influencer who renounced MAGA and now favors political rule by elites, joins Terms of Engagement to discuss his book “Kakistocracy: Why Populism Ends in Disaster.” The book is named for the Greek word meaning “rule by the worst.”