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Research

Rooney Democracy Institute faculty and students research a range of topics in American politics, advancing our understanding of American democracy across campus and around the world.  This important work is disseminated broadly through academic journals, books, talks and workshops, and through public engagement with the press.

While the Institute's research addresses American politics broadly, it has five focal areas of inquiry:

  • Representation and Politics in Legislatures: The dynamic relationship between how legislatures are designed and how legislators influence democratic outcomes in the United States.
  • Religion and Democracy: The role of religion—especially Catholicism, evangelical Protestantism, and minority religions, as well as America’s growing non-religious population—in the U.S. political system.
  • Politics, Organizations, and Psychology: Democratic attitudes, polarization, and the role of partisan politics in organizations.
  • Representation of Women: The causes and consequences of women’s representation, with a particular focus on the factors that encourage and discourage American women from entering politics
  • Democratic Inclusion and Participation: Public opinion, civic engagement, communication, political behavior, and the representation of an increasingly diverse population in the United States.

 

  1. Two researchers collaborate at a wooden desk. One writes on a dark tablet with a white stylus, while another points to an open book. Laptops and other study materials are visible in the blurred background.

    Research Labs

    Exploring pressing questions in American politics

  2. An older person's wrinkled hand, wearing a light blue checkered shirt, holds a white ballot. Other voters stand in line, with a blurred American flag and voting booth in the background, signaling a polling place.

    Health of Democracy Survey

    Conducting nationally representative surveys to assess the health of democracy and voter attitudes since 2022

  3. The U.S. Capitol building at dusk, illuminated against the blue sky, with its reflection in the foreground pool. Abstract shapes in red, white, blue, and purple frame the image.

    Support

    Fostering a rich and collaborative research environment, bringing together faculty and graduate students to pursue innovative scholarship and engage in meaningful intellectual exchange.