Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation @harvardash.bsky.social · 13h

Maya Sen on the potential for the Supreme Court to reshape presidential power in the coming months: “If they’re going to grant more power to executive, they’ll have to explain why.”

Read more here ⤵️
www.bbc.com/news/article...

New Supreme Court term will reshape Trump's powers - BBC News

Legal challenges have slowed Trump's attempts to expand presidential power. Now the highest US court is going to weigh in.

www.bbc.com

Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation @harvardash.bsky.social · 16h

“Political first-movers are adopting the technology … opening a gap across party lines. We expect this gap to widen, resulting in AI being predominantly used by one political side in the 2026 elections,” share Bruce Schneier and Nathan E. Sanders.

time.com/7321098/ai-2...

How AI Could Drive the 2026 Midterm Elections

One side is poised to exploit the tech, creating a systematic advantage in personalized messaging and campaign strategy.

time.com

Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation @harvardash.bsky.social · 1d

In a recent episode of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, Pita Limjaroenrat speaks to his public service journey in Thailand, underlining the importance of political participation and purposeful action in maintaining democracy.

Watch here ⤵️
www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7lh...

Beyond the Mandate: Serving Democracy Through Political Participation with Pita Limjaroenrat

YouTube video by Global Democracy Coalition

www.youtube.com

Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation @harvardash.bsky.social · 1d

Tune in to this week’s episode of “Terms of Engagement” live on YouTube at 12pm ET.

Watch here ⤵️
www.youtube.com/live/WTYMlpb...

The Art of the Higher Education Deal?

YouTube video by Harvard Ash Center

www.youtube.com

Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation @harvardash.bsky.social · 2d

Harvard Kennedy School’s Impact Labs, co-directed by Danielle Allen, launches the Impact Labs fellowship to support eight university professors leading social science projects in collaboration with the public and private sectors.

Read more here ⤵️
www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...

Harvard Impact Labs Fund $25,000 Grants for Faculty Public Service | News | The Harvard Crimson

Eight University professors received $25,000 grants as part of their inaugural Harvard Impact Labs fellowships to launch social science projects in collaboration with public and private sector leaders...

www.thecrimson.com

Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation @harvardash.bsky.social · 2d

“GenAI can enable better experiences on existing platforms and also create new resources for community groups to learn, adapt, and participate,” writes Stephen Goldsmith, on how generative AI can help governments improve city performance.

www.governing.com/management-a...

Stat, Meet AI: The Next Evolution of Performance Management

Bringing generative artificial intelligence to bear on a staple of local government promises substantial improvements.

www.governing.com

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Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation @harvardash.bsky.social · 2d

In a recent opinion piece, Danielle Allen assesses the U.S. Department of Education’s proposal for a compact amongst nine leading universities across the United States.

therenovator.substack.com/p/why-im-exc...

Why I’m Excited About the White House’s Proposal for a Higher Ed Compact

Now we have a chance for collective action

therenovator.substack.com

Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation @harvardash.bsky.social · 5d

As part of the Fifty Years On conference series, yesterday’s Vietnamese Diaspora panel welcomed four voices from South Vietnam for an intergenerational conversations spanning fifty years of unfinished legacies and looming fifty years ahead.

Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation @harvardash.bsky.social · 6d

Stephen Goldsmith on GenAI in local governance: “The process of stat modernization should start not with data for its own sake but with practical questions: Who in city government is eager to improve performance? What information would help them do so?”

www.governing.com/management-a...

Stat, Meet AI: The Next Evolution of Performance Management

Bringing generative artificial intelligence to bear on a staple of local government promises substantial improvements.

www.governing.com

Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation @harvardash.bsky.social · 7d

Arthur Brooks encourages political actors to stop regarding political opposition with contempt: “When we hate for political reasons, somebody’s profiting, and it’s not us.”

Read more here ⤵️
www.deseret.com/utah/2025/09...

Arthur Brooks praises Utah, delivers address on hope

Brooks urged listeners to tackle political contempt through love, not tolerance, citing Christ's teaching to love enemies as America's path to healing

www.deseret.com

Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation @harvardash.bsky.social · 7d

“There are people who have figured out that making a perfectly reasonable, balanced, and nuanced point is less captivating than one that is outrageous or extreme. This is how social media raises the temperature: the extreme sells.”

www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty-rese...

In the aftermath of tragic incidents of political violence, how can we transform the way we discuss politics?

Former Arizona election recorder and current senior fellow at the Ash Center at Harvard Kennedy School Stephen Richer offers ways to debate with civility

www.hks.harvard.edu

Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation @harvardash.bsky.social · 8d

“China Shock 2.0 … is fueled by the willingness of the government to invest heavily in promoting new sectors via subsidies for research and development. … As long as the government can foot the bill, those subsidies continue.”

m.economictimes.com/news/et-evok...

‘If America does sharply raise H1-B visa fees, that will go directly against the US successfully countering China Shock 2.0’ - The Economic Times

Gordon Hanson discusses the impact of China's economic rise on the US. 'China Shock 1.0' affected manufacturing and marriage rates. 'China Shock 2.0' involves government-subsidized tech advancements. ...

m.economictimes.com

Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation @harvardash.bsky.social · 8d

Tune in to today’s episode of “Terms of Engagement” on YouTube at 12pm ET.

Watch here ⤵️
www.youtube.com/live/OR8jneg...

Trump Targets Domestic Terrorism, James Comey Indicted

YouTube video by Harvard Ash Center

www.youtube.com

Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation @harvardash.bsky.social · 9d

In their new book “Rewiring Democracy,” Bruce Schneier and co-author Nathan Sanders explore how AI will impact and restructure policymaking and democratic governance in the 21st century.

Read more ⤵️
goodmenproject.com/featured-con...

Rewiring Democracy: Bruce Schneier and Nathan E. Sanders on AI, Power, and the Future of Governance

What strategies can ensure AI distributes power rather than concentrating it among the few?

goodmenproject.com

Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation @harvardash.bsky.social · 12d

Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt argue that democracy relies on two norms: mutual toleration between political opponents, and forbearance—opting for restraint “even when greater power is legally available.”

www.civilbeat.org/2025/09/what...

What Democracy's Backsliding In Washington Means For Hawaiʻi

We need to prepare now for potential changes in the way the federal government treats Hawaiʻi.

https://www.civilbeat.org/2025/09/what-democratic-backsliding-in-washington-means-for-hawaiʻi/

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Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation @harvardash.bsky.social · 12d

Bruce Schneier explores how threat modeling can help individuals decide how to protect their data.

“Threat modeling is all about trade-offs. Understanding yours depends not only on the technology and its capabilities but also on your personal goals.”

www.lawfaremedia.org/article/digi...

Digital Threat Modeling Under Authoritarianism

Authoritarian threats, coupled with ongoing corporate surveillance, demand that we rethink how we use digital technologies.

www.lawfaremedia.org

Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation @harvardash.bsky.social · 13d

A recent article assesses modern protest movements across South Asia through the lens of Erica Chenoweth’s research on nonviolent resistance. “Even when a violent movement succeeds, 90% of the time it degenerates into civil war or tyranny.”

tribune.com.pk/article/9805...

South Asian Spring? What does history teach us about violent rebellions? | The Express Tribune

The writer is a journalist and writer associated with The Express Tribune

tribune.com.pk

Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation @harvardash.bsky.social · 13d

Pops Norris assesses FIRE’s data collection methods. “There are biases by the journalistic coverage of … incidents in the news media … which over-represents coverage of negative news in the most high-profile institutions of higher education.”

www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...

Harvard Is No Longer Last in FIRE’s Free Speech Rankings. What’s Behind the Numbers? | News | The Harvard Crimson

For the first time in years, Harvard didn’t come dead last in the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression free speech rankings. But experts say the rankings have never told the full story.

www.thecrimson.com

Reposted by Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation

InnovateUS @innovateus.bsky.social · 13d

This workshop is part of our AI for Democratic Engagement workshop series, and is brought to you in partnership with the @harvardash.bsky.social, @thegovlab.org, and the Reboot Democracy Blog. Learn more here: innovate-us.org/workshop-ser...

Reboot Democracy: Designing Democratic Engagement for the AI Era

InnovateUS provides no-cost, at-your-own pace, and live learning on data, digital and innovation skills for public servants like you.

innovate-us.org

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Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation @harvardash.bsky.social · 14d

According to Marshall Ganz, leadership is about “accepting responsibility to enable others to achieve shared purpose under conditions of uncertainty.”

Read more ⤵️
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/pati...

A Governor’s Empathetic Response to Charlie Kirk’s Murder

During a press conference following the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox used an empathetic leadership style to convene a critical dialogue.

www.psychologytoday.com

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Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation @harvardash.bsky.social · 14d

“The genius of Levitsky and Ziblatt’s work is their distillation of complex political erosion into a recognizable pattern.”

Read more on Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt’s 2018 book “How Democracies Die” ⤵️
moderndiplomacy.eu/2025/09/22/w...

Why "How Democracies Die" is the Most Important Book Right Now

How Democracies Die is without exaggeration, one of the most significant books of our times. Read the analysis to find out more.

moderndiplomacy.eu

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Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation @harvardash.bsky.social · 15d

“The biggest driver of the slowdown in job growth is you just don’t need as many jobs per month as you used to. And the reason for that is we just have a lot fewer immigrants coming into the country,” shares Jason Furman.

Listen to the full interview ⤵️
www.marketplace.org/story/2025/0...

Could restrictive immigration policy lead to stagnating job growth?

With an aging population and declining birth rate, immigrants have helped fill necessary voids in the labor supply.

www.marketplace.org

Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation @harvardash.bsky.social · 15d

Tune in to today’s episode of “Terms of Engagement,” live at 12pm ET on YouTube.

www.youtube.com/live/d37ON0r...

The Fight Over Free Speech

YouTube video by Harvard Ash Center

www.youtube.com

Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation @harvardash.bsky.social · 19d

“Optimism about the potential beneficial uses of AI need not imply support for the Big Tech companies that currently dominate AI development,” shares Bruce Schneier, on AI’s application in government.

Read more here ⤵️
www.techpolicy.press/doges-flops-...

DOGE’s Flops Shouldn’t Spell Doom for AI In Government | TechPolicy.Press

Elon Musk's dystopic vision for AI in government should not thwart efforts to make use of the technology, Nathan Sanders and Bruce Schneier write

www.techpolicy.press

Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation @harvardash.bsky.social · 20d

Rana Mitter speaks to Asia’s growing role in the political sphere: “The eclipse of America’s war record and the rise of Asia’s narrative in the second war seems to foreshadow a new prominence for Asia’s role in global politics.”

observer.co.uk/news/interna...

In a show of power, China’s strange bedfellows signal a n...

After two striking images in China, Rana Mitter asks whether we’ve just witnessed the start of the Asian century

observer.co.uk