Many view civil wars as violent contests between armed combatants. But history shows that community groups, businesses, NGOs, local…
The status of economic liberties remains a serious lacuna in the theory and practice of human rights. Should a minimally just society…
How do ‘people power’ movements succeed when modest proportions of the population participate? Here we propose that the effects of social…
Marcella Alsan is a Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School. Alsan received a BA from Harvard University, a master’s in public…
In expanding its program that lets residents vote on public spending, New York City is enlivening democracy and engaging the electorate.
Will Dobbie is a Professor of Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic…
In her memoir, Power offers an urgent response to the question "What can one person do?" and a call for a clearer eye, a kinder heart, and…
Do 40-Year-Old Facts Still Matter? Long-Run Effects of Federal Oversight under the Voting Rights Act
In 2013, the Supreme Court struck down parts of the Voting Rights Act that mandated federal oversight of election laws in discriminatory…
Whether it is defining Native Americans as non-citizens in 1800 or introducing a “mulatto” category in 1850, the classification of race and…
Monitors report that many elections around the world are flawed by problems of corruption and violence – sometimes both. These malpractices…