Ash Institute Hosts Inaugural Panel on Democratic Governance

February 11, 2009
By Kate Hoagland, Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation

“This is one of the defining moments of the school,” Dean David T. Ellwood announced at Wednesday’s (Feb. 5, 2009) Ash Institute inaugural panel “Democracy in the 21st Century: Global Challenges and Opportunities”. Calling the event “a celebration of the next generation of the Ash Institute in which we are exposing you to the best thinking going on at Harvard Kennedy School,” Ellwood introduced Director Anthony Saich, who will spearhead the Institute’s initiative to become the world’s leading center for the study of democratic governance. HKS scholars and practitioners concentrating on the study of democratic institutions and politics Stephen Goldsmith, Alex Keyssar, Archon Fung and Jane Mansbridge served as panelists.

Setting the context for the discussion to follow, Saich elaborated on the Institute’s plans to study the reciprocal relationships between democratic governance and the persistence of urgent social problems. According to Saich, we lack new models and frameworks for understanding democratic governance and its relevance to the challenges the world currently faces. He explained that the Institute would undergo a deep exploration of the very nature of democracy itself, studying why this form of government can work so well in some countries and adapt less well in others. How can democracy work for ordinary people in both the developed and developing world? The potential tradeoff between human rights and economic development and the types of institutions that can succeed in protecting and growing both capital areas will be reviewed.

For the full article, visit the Ash Institute's Web site.

Print print | Email email
David T. Ellwood

Dean David T. Ellwood addresses the audience on the future of the Ash Institute. Photo credit Tony Rinaldo.