  It is now widely believed that the growth of massive black holes is closely
linked to the formation of galaxies, but there have been few concrete
constraints on the actual physical processes responsible for this coupling.
Investigating the connection between AGN and starburst activity may offer some
empirical guidance on this problem. I summarize previous observational searches
for young stars in active galaxies, concluding that there is now compelling
evidence for a significant post-starburst population in many luminous AGNs, and
that a direct, causal link may exist between star formation and black hole
accretion. Quantifying the ongoing star formation rate in AGNs, however, is
much more challenging because of the strong contamination by the active
nucleus. I discuss recent work attempting to measure the star formation rate in
luminous AGNs and quasars. The exceptionally low level of coeval star formation
found in these otherwise gas-rich systems suggests that the star formation
efficiency in the host galaxies is suppressed in the presence of strong AGN
feedback.
