About

Mission 

The Center for Democratic Governance serves as a space to advance democratic governance studies, including both empirical and normative scholarship relating to democratic forms of governance. Considerations include: 

  • Basic definitions of democratic governance, its core ideals and standards. 

  • Empirical studies looking at the sustainability of democratic governance amidst political, technological, and environmental stressors and disruptions. 

  • Applications of democratic governance standards and practices addressing basic and emerging needs of society at local, state, national, and international levels. 

  • Sponsorship and co-sponsorship of speakers, workshops, conferences, and professional development opportunities focusing on critical questions of democratic governance. 

Purpose 

Governance systems and networks are comprised of actors across public, private, and nonprofit sectors that provide an ensemble of coordination, collaboration, and controlling activities designed to provide public goods and services.  

CDG will advance the normative principles of liberal democratic governance traditions including highlighting the centrality of citizen authority, the promulgation of individual rights, checks and balances on power, promotion of tolerance and restraint in support of democratic institutions, adherence to truth and reason, promotion of professional discretion, and the pursuit of public value production. Attention will particularly be paid to evidence of “democratic backsliding” in the U.S. and abroad.  

CDG will also advance empirical research employing a diverse range of qualitative, quantitative, modeling, and experimental design methods to study the role of complex governance systems and networks in the pursuit of policy solutions in the following areas:   

  • Political solutions that lead to greater equity, inclusion and belonging require the support and development of governance practices that authentically integrate the needs and interests of marginalized and vulnerable people, balancing majoritarian and minority interests.  

  • Technical solutions that require innovations in governance that are able to anticipate and respond to the intentional and unintentional consequences of technological advancements like artificial intelligence.  

  • Environmental solutions relative to land use, water and air quality, and hazard mitigation require governance responses that promote social-ecological systems that are sustainable and resilient.  

  • Engineering solutions that require deeper understanding of policy, human behavior, and institutional responses that can best be addressed through interdisciplinary approaches to designing and integrating social governance systems into engineered systems (built and digital infrastructures). 

Activities 

CDG will serve as the site of new and ongoing research studies pertaining to democratic governance studies. CDG research affiliates (faculty, GRAs and postdocs) will meet regularly in “governance lab” meetings. CDG will sponsor and co-sponsor lectures, webinars, workshops, and symposium relating to “The Future of Democratic Governance.”