The Notre Dame Democracy Initiative is establishing the University as a leader in the study of democracy in the U.S. and around the world. It renews the strength of democracy by advancing rigorous research, preparing students for civic leadership, and convening influential voices across political divides.
In 2025, the Democracy Initiative continued to support work that advanced the cause of understanding, promoting, and defending democracy.
“Over the past year, the Democracy Initiative advanced cutting-edge research, expanded opportunities for students, and convened thought leaders across the disciplines to tackle urgent and complex challenges to democracy around the world,” said David Campbell, director of the Democracy Initiative and Packey J. Dee Professor of American Democracy in the Department of Political Science.
In all, the Initiative has funded 67 Democracy Catalyst projects that includes $2 million in funding to more than 100 scholars across five of Notre Dame’s colleges and schools. These multi-year investments support new projects led by Notre Dame faculty and graduate students that closely align with the mission of the initiative in three areas — research, convening and education and formation.
The Initiative has welcomed 48 undergraduate Democracy Fellows from across all disciplines, each of whom is doing an independent research project related to democracy. Through this program, the Democracy Initiative seeks to support and inspire the next generation of public servants and democracy scholars at Notre Dame.
The Democracy Initiative also co-hosted a number of convenings, including a Democracy Talk in September featuring Governors Spencer Cox of Utah and Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico. Attendees packed the Leighton Concert Hall for the conversation about ways to depolarize politics in the United States.
Other events supported by the Initiative include a conversation with Cardinal McElroy, Archbishop of Washington, DC; a conference on social media and democracy; a meeting on higher education and democracy; a conversation with Johns Hopkins University President Ron Daniels on what universities owe democracy; a conference on K-12 civic education; the Keeping The Republic Conference; and the Global Democracy Conference.