The Rooney Democracy Institute is dedicated to advancing scholarly research on democratic attitudes and institutions, encouraging popular understanding of democratic norms, and promoting the strength and resilience of democracy in the United States.
What we do
The Institute sponsors a variety of activities for both faculty and students, including:
The bi-weekly Rooney Seminar Series, in which scholars from Notre Dame and other prominent universities present cutting edge research on American democracy.
The annual Keeping the Republic Conference, which brings together an interdisciplinary group of prominent senior researchers and early-career scholars interested in understanding potential threats to American democracy, how researchers should study those threats, and what academics should be doing to engage with societal conversations about these topics.
The bi-annual Health of Democracy Survey, which assesses popular attitudes related to democracy in the United States through a high-quality probability survey.
Research labs dedicated to specific topics related to American democracy.
Faculty and graduate student research grants, workshops, and other research support.
The Rooney Democracy Institute and its parnters also offer a variety of undergraduate programming. The Hesburgh Program in Public Service offers interdisciplinary programming designed for undergraduate students interested in public policy or public service. And the Washington Program offers undergraduate students the ability to study off-campus, becoming immersed in the political and cultural life of Washington DC.
The Rooney Democracy Institute's central mission is to better understand American democracy, to share that understanding with the broader society, and to instill that knowledge in the next generation of American citizens and leaders. As the U.S. experiences rising polarization, misinformation, and distrust in democratic institutions, that mission is more important than ever.
The Rooney Democracy Institute welcomes your support in any number of ways. We value the time, talent, and treasure of our graduates and friends and welcome collaborative efforts to further our work. Make a gift or contact the institute about other ways to get involved.
