LATEST NEWS

Paradise Revisited

Technology has enriched the lives of Americans with novel communication choices. It has also made it more difficult to reach everyone in emergencies. In a new policy brief, Mary W. Graham, senior fellow at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, explores this new paradox of the digital transition. https://ash.harvard.edu/resources/paradise-revisited/

Jun 16

Louisiana law to restrict community monitoring of air pollution is challenged.

Louisiana stifles community air monitoring with threat of million-dollar fines, federal lawsuit says. https://apnews.com/article/cancer-a...

May 23, 2025

E.P.A. Plans to Shut Down the Energy Star Program

A step back for transparency: Government stops rating appliance energy efficiency. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/06/climate/epa-energy-...

May 8, 2025

THE TRANSPARENCY
POLICY PROJECT

Seeking to understand and improve disclosure systems that protect the public

FULL DISCLOSURE

Information is power. Sometimes giving people the facts can save lives and improve markets and government. But distorted, out of date, or politically skewed information can do more harm than good. How can we tell the difference and work toward more effective transparency?

Learn More

The Transparency Policy Project seeks to understand and improve disclosure of factual information that protects the public. Nutritional labels, car safety ratings, toxic chemical reports, and financial accounting standards are among the scores of policies that aim to reduce risks. The Project is affiliated with the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation and the Taubman Center for State and Local Government at Harvard Kennedy School.

We have constructed a framework for assessing the effectiveness of disclosure systems designed to improve public health and safety, reduce risks to investors, minimize corruption, and improve public services. The Project also explores the power and limits of technology to create collective knowledge that serves the public in the United States, Europe and developing countries.

In Full Disclosure: The Perils and Promise of Transparency and dozens of other publications we explain how information disclosure can go wrong and how new approaches can inform everyday choices, save lives and reduce injuries, improve business products and practices, and lead to more effective government.

Read The Full Book to learn more about the effectiveness of transparency policies.