Policy Brief
A new policy brief explores how unions help members become more engaged in civic and political life.
In a new policy brief, Tova Wang, Director of Research Projects in Democratic Practice at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, and coauthors Stanislav Rivkin and Eli Melendrez, explore how unions support members to become more actively engaged in civic and political life. The findings demonstrate how community, trusted relationships, leadership development, and collective action can help people build the confidence and practical skills needed to participate in public life. Additionally, the research offers useful lessons for unions and organizations working to strengthen democracy from the ground up.
To read the full paper, scroll up and click “Download the PDF” to the right of your screen.
Tova Wang is the Director of Research Projects in Democratic Practice at the Ash Center. A longtime leader in election reform and increasing political participation among marginalized groups, she previously directed policy and research at the Center for Secure and Modern Elections and authored The Politics of Voter Suppression.
Podcast
High voter turnout is often celebrated as a sign of a healthy democracy, with election officials viewing strong participation as evidence of public engagement and political legitimacy. On Terms of Engagement, Professor Jason Brennan joins cohosts Archon Fung and Stephen Richer to examine whether higher turnout actually strengthens democracy.
Commentary
In this opinion piece, Audrey Feldman, Todd Rogers and Ben Valenta, participants in the Sports, Democracy and Civic Health project, describe their findings showing that shared fandom can soften partisan animosity and make political opponents more willing to connect.
Q+A
New research from More in Common explores how sports connect Americans across differences and strengthen their community ties.
Media Release
Commentary
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.
Article
In a recent American Journal of Public Health essay, Ash Center Director Archon Fung, Democracy Visiting Fellow Aditya S. Pawar, former Non-resident Fellow Jon Alexander, and their co-authors examine how public deliberation and civic engagement can produce more efficient and reliable public health policy.
