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The Past, Present, and Future of Democracy—A Summer Reading List from the Allen Lab
As we celebrate America’s 250th, the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation is reflecting on how we arrived at this moment and where we are headed.
Additional Resource
Storytelling Pathways to Civics Engagement
Watch Roadtrip Nation’s Living Civics documentary and hear from leading universal civic learning experts on the power of narrative for civic engagement.
Roadtrip Nation’s Living Civics documentary is now available on the Roadtrip Nation Living Civics Watch Page. The documentary follows three roadtrippers as they explore how people from all backgrounds are working together to bridge divides and encourage civic leadership across generations. The watch page includes a link to the documentary and supplementary materials showcasing the roadtrip route and the Americans the roadtrippers met along the way.
In March 2026, Danielle Allen joined Louise Dube (iCivics), David McCullough (American Exchange Project), and moderator Emmalyn Pykles at the Civic Learning Week National Forum in Philadelphia, PA for a discussion of Roadtrip Nation’s latest documentary “Living Civics.” The panel explored how storytelling can help young people envision meaningful pathways into careers that further civic engagement and civic education.
Related Resources
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.
Q+A
Danielle Allen’s “Radical Duke” Reveals an Unsung Catalyst of History
Allen uncovers the deep — then volatile — friendship between a British duke and Thomas Paine.
Additional Resource
Self-Evident Truths: The 250-Year Pursuit of Human Rights in the United States of America
Published as the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, the Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights’ essay collection “Self-Evident Truths” gathers faculty and fellows across Harvard’s schools including the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, to examine how well America has fulfilled its promise that all people are created equal and endowed with inalienable rights.
The included essays span democracy, technology, public health, immigration, climate, and more, providing a nuanced look at what is required to fully realize the nation’s founding ideals today.
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Navigating Democracy’s Next Chapter at the “Founding Futures” Conference
Ash Center Fellow Jon Alexander joined a diverse group of speakers at TED Democracy Philadelphia to share bold ideas for revitalizing modern democracy.
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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.