Democracy Initiative
Democracy is in crisis at home and abroad. Polarization is high, trust is low, and public discourse is toxic. At a time when many universities are grappling with their role in American democracy, Notre Dame is uniquely situated to respond to this crisis. The Notre Dame Democracy Initiative will establish Notre Dame as a leader in the study of democracy both in the U.S. and worldwide, as a convenor for conversations about and actions to preserve democracy, and as a model for the formation of civically engaged citizens and public servants. This University-wide initiative bridges research, education, and policy work across multiple units and will extend beyond campus to policymakers and federal agencies in Washington, D.C.
Status Update
Notre Dame publicly launched its University-wide Democracy Initiative in April 2024, followed by May's inaugural Global Democracy Conference, hosted by the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, and the second annual Keeping The Republic conference (focused on democracy in the U.S.), hosted by the Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy. Download this information sheet to more about the Democracy Initiative's mission and goals.
After a University-wide call for Democracy Catalyst Funding proposals, in November the Initiative awarded funding to 40 research, education, and convening projects led by 70 scholars representing colleges, schools, centers, and institutes across campus and across the disciplines. The Initiative also launched a faculty search for senior scholars who specialize in the empirical study of democracy. The Democracy Initiative continues to strengthen the formation of the next generation of public servants with the Democracy Talks series and undergraduate Democracy Fellows.
ND Democracy Talk Dec. 4 | Democracy Around the World: Reflections on 2024
In 2024, more than 70 countries held elections, with more than half of the world's population participating. This panel will explore global election results from a comparative perspective and reflect on what they reveal about the state of democracy.
Democracy Initiative Awards 40 Democracy Catalyst Grants
The Democracy Initiative has announced a new round of multi-year investments that will support research and education projects led by Notre Dame faculty and students and convenings that will bring together prominent democracy scholars from around the world. The 40 funded projects are led by 70 scholars across campus, including historians, data scientists, philosophers, theologians, economists, designers, education researchers, and more.
Connect with the Democracy Initiative
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Executive Committee
View Committee MembersPartners
- Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy
- Kellogg Institute for International Studies
- Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights
- Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government
- Notre Dame International Security Center
- Center for the Study of Religion and Society
- Notre Dame Law School
- Keough School of Global Affairs
- Department of Political Science
- Department of Sociology
- Department of History
- College of Arts and Letters
Additional partners will be added as work on the initiative continues in the coming months and years.
