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.
News and Analysis
Read the latest news, commentary, and analysis from the Ash Center.
Newest
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.
Commentary
Work in the Age of AI: Reflections from After Neoliberalism
Allen Lab member Charlie Covit reflects on the After Neoliberalism conference and examines the intersection of artificial intelligence and the future of work, arguing that AI forces a democratic reckoning with the meaning of labor itself and that an economy which generates abundance while stripping citizens of purpose and dignity undermines the very foundation of democratic life.
Video
What Democracy Means to Us: Reflections on America 250
Exploring Ash Center perspectives on the meaning of democracy, democratic participation and citizenship, and how democratic life might evolve over the next 250 years.
Q+A
The Declaration of Independence at 250: Five Questions About America’s Founding Document
As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, its founding principles—and its enduring contradictions—continue to provoke reflection and debate. In this conversation, Alex Keyssar, historian and Matthew W. Stirling Jr. Professor of History and Social Policy at Harvard Kennedy School, discusses the historical circumstances in which the Declaration was written, the ideals it sought to articulate, how its meaning has evolved over time, and the tensions between its soaring language and the realities of slavery, inequality, and political compromise.
Feature
Global Challenges to Democracy Seminar Series Recap (AY 2025-2026)
Key takeaways from the Ash Center’s 2025–2026 seminar series on navigating global threats to modern democracy.
Media Release
Danielle Allen’s Radical Duke Recasts the Origins of the Age of Revolution
A new book from Harvard scholar Danielle Allen revisits the forgotten British radical movement that helped shape modern democracy.
Feature
Believing in the Power of the People
Paige Swem MC/MPA 2026 has built her career around a simple but powerful belief: meaningful change happens when institutions share power with the people they serve. From leading democracy reform efforts in Michigan to studying public leadership at Harvard Kennedy School, she has championed grassroots, participatory approaches that bring citizens into decision-making and strengthen democratic systems from the ground up, earning her the Ash Center’s Martha H. Mauzy Award this spring.
This article was originally written by Carol Kerbaugh for Harvard Kennedy School’s website.
Commentary
“Our Declaration” Reissued for America 250
First published in 2014, Professor Danielle Allen’s Our Declaration has been reissued with a new foreword this year to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.