The last two U.S. presidents have both faced questions of senility and cognitive decline while in office. The Wall Street Journal recently published an article on wealth distribution titled “Over 65? Congratulations, you own the economy.” Meanwhile, Millennials and members of Generation Z are finding it next to impossible to afford things older generations took for granted, like buying a home and having a family.

Amanda Litman, the president and founder of Run for Something, says it’s become clear the older generation won’t pass down their power willingly, so younger adults are going to have to take it. Litman’s organization has recruited more than 250,000 people to run for state or local office since 2017. Litman joins co-hosts Archon Fung and Stephen Richer to talk about why she believes democracy needs a generational makeover. They’ll also discuss her recent book, “When We’re in Charge: The Next Generation’s Guide for Leadership.”

About Terms of Engagement

From rank-choice voting to reconciliation, American democracy is headline news. Let’s talk about it.

Join Harvard Ash Center's Archon Fung and Stephen Richer for a weekly conversation about the latest developments in American politics. Blending perspectives from both the political right and left, Terms of Engagement addresses breaking news, providing insights from research and practice to deliver a unique perspective you won’t hear anywhere else.

Contact Us

Send questions, ideas, and feedback to us at info@ash.harvard.edu.

About the Hosts

Archon Fung is the Winthrop Laflin McCormack Professor of Citizenship and Self-Government at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Director of the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. His research explores policies, practices, and institutional designs that deepen the quality of democratic governance with a focus on public participation, deliberation, and transparency. He has authored five books, four edited collections, and over fifty articles appearing in professional journals. He received two S.B.s — in philosophy and physics — and his Ph.D. in political science from MIT.

Stephen Richer is the former elected Maricopa County Recorder, responsible for voter registration, early voting administration, and public recordings in Maricopa County, Arizona, the fourth largest county in the United States. Prior to being an elected official, Stephen worked at several public policy think tanks and as a business transactions attorney.  Stephen received his J.D. and M.A. from The University of Chicago and his B.A. from Tulane University.

Stephen has been broadly recognized for his work in elections and American Democracy.  In 2021, the Arizona Republic named Stephen “Arizonan of the Year.”  In 2022, the Maricopa Bar Association awarded Stephen “Public Law Attorney of the Year.”  In 2023, Stephen won “Leader of the Year” from the Arizona Capitol Times.  And in 2024, Time Magazine named Stephen a “Defender of Democracy.”

About the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation

The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, a research center at Harvard Kennedy School, is Harvard’s hub for the study, discussion, and analysis of democracy. The Ash Center’s mission is to develop ideas and foster practices for equal and inclusive, multi-racial and multi-ethnic democracy and self-government.

Music Credit: Straight to the Point, Music Media Group

Unpacking the most pressing threats to American democracy requires deeper investigation of the historical currents shaping today’s civil rights battles. What lessons from the Civil Rights Movement remain relevant in addressing modern political conflicts? And if key voting protections continue to erode, where should the voting rights movement go from here?

In this episode, co-hosts Archon Fung and Stephen Richer invite democracy and civil rights advocate Cornell William Brooks to assess the evolution of America’s historical narrative and what implications history has on our contemporary political context. As the 2026 midterms approach, how can we work to safeguard civil protections and sustain a democracy that works for all Americans?

About Terms of Engagement

From rank-choice voting to reconciliation, American democracy is headline news. Let’s talk about it.

Join Harvard Ash Center's Archon Fung and Stephen Richer for a weekly conversation about the latest developments in American politics. Blending perspectives from both the political right and left, Terms of Engagement addresses breaking news, providing insights from research and practice to deliver a unique perspective you won’t hear anywhere else.

Contact Us

Send questions, ideas, and feedback to us at info@ash.harvard.edu.

About the Hosts

Archon Fung is the Winthrop Laflin McCormack Professor of Citizenship and Self-Government at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Director of the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. His research explores policies, practices, and institutional designs that deepen the quality of democratic governance with a focus on public participation, deliberation, and transparency. He has authored five books, four edited collections, and over fifty articles appearing in professional journals. He received two S.B.s — in philosophy and physics — and his Ph.D. in political science from MIT.

Stephen Richer is the former elected Maricopa County Recorder, responsible for voter registration, early voting administration, and public recordings in Maricopa County, Arizona, the fourth largest county in the United States. Prior to being an elected official, Stephen worked at several public policy think tanks and as a business transactions attorney.  Stephen received his J.D. and M.A. from The University of Chicago and his B.A. from Tulane University.

Stephen has been broadly recognized for his work in elections and American Democracy.  In 2021, the Arizona Republic named Stephen “Arizonan of the Year.”  In 2022, the Maricopa Bar Association awarded Stephen “Public Law Attorney of the Year.”  In 2023, Stephen won “Leader of the Year” from the Arizona Capitol Times.  And in 2024, Time Magazine named Stephen a “Defender of Democracy.”

About the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation

The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, a research center at Harvard Kennedy School, is Harvard’s hub for the study, discussion, and analysis of democracy. The Ash Center’s mission is to develop ideas and foster practices for equal and inclusive, multi-racial and multi-ethnic democracy and self-government.

Music Credit: Straight to the Point, Music Media Group

The 2026 midterms are shaping up to be unlike any in recent history. While these elections traditionally serve as a standard check on the presidency, today’s landscape of federal pressures and localized flashpoints has many questioning if the old rules still apply. Are we looking at a routine political correction, or an unprecedented “election meltdown”?

In this episode, co-hosts Archon Fung and Stephen Richer weigh the “business as usual” outlook for the midterms against the increasingly dire warnings. They discuss various 2026 scenarios as well as practical strategies to safeguard a free and fair process.

About Terms of Engagement

From rank-choice voting to reconciliation, American democracy is headline news. Let’s talk about it.

Join Harvard Ash Center's Archon Fung and Stephen Richer for a weekly conversation about the latest developments in American politics. Blending perspectives from both the political right and left, Terms of Engagement addresses breaking news, providing insights from research and practice to deliver a unique perspective you won’t hear anywhere else.

Contact Us

Send questions, ideas, and feedback to us at info@ash.harvard.edu.

About the Hosts

Archon Fung is the Winthrop Laflin McCormack Professor of Citizenship and Self-Government at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Director of the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. His research explores policies, practices, and institutional designs that deepen the quality of democratic governance with a focus on public participation, deliberation, and transparency. He has authored five books, four edited collections, and over fifty articles appearing in professional journals. He received two S.B.s — in philosophy and physics — and his Ph.D. in political science from MIT.

Stephen Richer is the former elected Maricopa County Recorder, responsible for voter registration, early voting administration, and public recordings in Maricopa County, Arizona, the fourth largest county in the United States. Prior to being an elected official, Stephen worked at several public policy think tanks and as a business transactions attorney.  Stephen received his J.D. and M.A. from The University of Chicago and his B.A. from Tulane University.

Stephen has been broadly recognized for his work in elections and American Democracy.  In 2021, the Arizona Republic named Stephen “Arizonan of the Year.”  In 2022, the Maricopa Bar Association awarded Stephen “Public Law Attorney of the Year.”  In 2023, Stephen won “Leader of the Year” from the Arizona Capitol Times.  And in 2024, Time Magazine named Stephen a “Defender of Democracy.”

About the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation

The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, a research center at Harvard Kennedy School, is Harvard’s hub for the study, discussion, and analysis of democracy. The Ash Center’s mission is to develop ideas and foster practices for equal and inclusive, multi-racial and multi-ethnic democracy and self-government.

Music Credit: Straight to the Point, Music Media Group