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Engage with the Future: Essential Reads on Technology’s Impact on Democracy This Summer

Technology and Democracy: Essential Reads for Summer 2025

As technology and democracy intersect in unprecedented ways, understanding their evolving relationship is critical. The 2024 election cycle exposed both the fragility and resilience of democratic institutions worldwide, while rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) continue to transform social, economic, environmental, and geopolitical landscapes. To explore these important themes, the Ash Center’s Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation and the GETTING-Plurality Research Network have curated a timely summer reading list. This collection of books, essays, reports, and videos offers a multidisciplinary perspective on the challenges and opportunities technology presents to democratic governance.

The Current Moment: Technology and Democracy at a Crossroads

The curated reading list aims to highlight the urgency of current developments at the intersection of technology and democracy. It spans multiple disciplines, including philosophy, political theory, law, ethics, and policy, to foster a broad understanding of how technology shapes our democratic lives. The selections both warn about the threats posed by unchecked technological power and artificial intelligence and propose innovative ideas for safeguarding democratic values in the digital age.

Recommended Books

Noteworthy Articles and Essays

Engaging Videos and Events

Additional Resources and Updates

The Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation continues to provide insights on diverse topics related to democratic governance and innovation:

About the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation

Based at Harvard Kennedy School, the Ash Center fosters ideas and practices supporting equal, inclusive, multiracial, and multiethnic democracy and self-government. Its initiatives connect scholarship, policy, and civic practice to uphold democratic integrity in an era of rapid technological change.


For more information and to explore the full reading list alongside related resources, visit the Ash Center’s website. Stay informed and engaged with the ongoing dialogue about technology’s role in shaping the future of democracy.

Contact and newsletter subscription options are available at the Ash Center homepage.


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