NEWS

News and updates from the Chicago Center on Democracy
Neutralizing falsehoods about the documents case

Neutralizing falsehoods about the documents case

Susan Stokes, Faculty Director of the Chicago Center on Democracy, today published an opinion piece in Project Syndicate, "Neutralizing Trump's Big Lies." The description of the piece is: Donald Trump’s falsehoods about the federal case against him threaten to...

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Democracy Roundtables in Paris, February 2023

Democracy Roundtables in Paris, February 2023

Three centers at the University of Chicago—the Center for Effective Government, the Chicago Center on Democracy, and the Center in Paris—recently convened a group of scholars and practitioners in Paris for a set of roundtables on vulnerabilities to democracy. Those...

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Op-ed on Brazil’s “own version of January 6”

Op-ed on Brazil’s “own version of January 6”

In an op-ed published in Project Syndicate on January 10, Susan Stokes discusses the recent attack on government buildings in Brazil: the country's "own version of January 6" in the United States. The piece argues that: "When aspiring dictators are not held...

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Sue Stokes on “Assessing the Health of Democracy”

Sue Stokes on “Assessing the Health of Democracy”

Susan Stokes, Director of the Chicago Center on Democracy, was recently a guest on WNYC's "The Takeaway" radio program. On the second anniversary of the January 6th insurrection, this program looked at the "state of democracy here in the United States and abroad,...

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On attacks on political leaders

On attacks on political leaders

The Chicago Center on Democracy's Director Susan Stokes spoke on KNX radio in Los Angeles about the recent attack on Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi. Her interview begins around minute 6:08: "We're in a very violent period, a period of tremendous violent...

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Discussing referendums and citizen initiatives in the media

Discussing referendums and citizen initiatives in the media

Susan Stokes, director of the Chicago Center on Democracy, recently talked with Wisconsin Public Radio about the proposed constitutional amendment in Wisconsin that would allow citizen initiatives in the state. In addition, she wrote an op-ed, "Direct democracy can...

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Washington Post article about Kansas referendum

Washington Post article about Kansas referendum

Susan Stokes, Faculty Director of CCD, and two collaborators (Eli Rau and Radha Sarkar) last week published a Monkey Cage piece in the Washington Post: "Kansas voted for abortion rights. What does that mean for the midterms?" It draws on research to help explain the...

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Susan Stokes on Biden’s first year

Susan Stokes on Biden’s first year

On January 20, 2022, Susan Stokes, Director of the Chicago Center on Democracy, participated in a conversation looking back at the first year of the Biden administration. It was broadcast on WTTW, the Chicago-area PBS member television station. Watch the segment...

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Susan Stokes on Joe Biden in USA Today

Susan Stokes on Joe Biden in USA Today

Susan Stokes, director of the Chicago Center on Democracy, was quoted extensively in the USA Today story, "The 'gaffe machine' gets a tuneup: Joe Biden stays surprisingly on message as president" (May 23, 2021). One of her quotes: "The majority of Americans thought...

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Susan Stokes named Carnegie Fellow

Susan Stokes named Carnegie Fellow

Susan Stokes, Director of the Chicago Center on Democracy, has been selected as one of the next Carnegie Fellows, an award administered by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. This $200,000 award will allow Stokes to develop a book, tentatively titled How Would-Be...

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In the news: On Point and USA Today

In the news: On Point and USA Today

Susan Stokes, Director of the Chicago Center on Democracy, was in the news twice this week: In a radio interview on WBUR's "On Point" program, talking with host Meghna Chakrabarti about what recent anti-protest bills reveal about the state of U.S. democracy. (Listen...

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Sue Stokes speaks on referendums and political power

Sue Stokes speaks on referendums and political power

Sue Stokes, Director of the Chicago Center on Democracy, spoke about referendums and political power on March 10, 2021 as part of a panel organized by the Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy. She addressed the question: Does direct democracy increase democratic...

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CCD in the news

CCD in the news

      During the turbulence of the last few months, faculty members connected with the Chicago Center on Democracy contributed to the public conversation about democracy in the United States. Below are some of the recent news stories. Stories that...

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Bright Line Watch in the Washington Post and the New Yorker

Bright Line Watch in the Washington Post and the New Yorker

Two articles published today—one in the Washington Post and the other in the New Yorker—cover Bright Line Watch's recent surveys. Bright Line Watch is a multi-university initiative, housed at the Chicago Center on Democracy, that conducts regular surveys to gauge...

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Susan Stokes op-ed on election sabotage

Susan Stokes op-ed on election sabotage

A new op-ed in the Seattle Times, written by CCD faculty director Susan Stokes, discusses how Donald Trump's rhetoric should itself be considered an attempt to sabotage the 2020 presidential election. Read the op-ed: "Don’t be misled by Trump’s brazen election...

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Two new reports from Bright Line Watch

Two new reports from Bright Line Watch

Bright Line Watch, a multi-university initiative housed at CCD, has produced two new reports illuminating how Americans view the current state of U.S. democracy. First, Bright Line Watch has completed its latest survey of experts, its 11th since 2017, to gauge views...

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The President Versus The Post Office

The President Versus The Post Office

Susan Stokes, faculty director of the Chicago Center on Democracy, was a featured guest on WBUR's On Point program this past Tuesday, August 25, 2020. She discussed the politicization of U.S. institutions, in particularly the postal service. She explained that there...

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What spurs a protest?

What spurs a protest?

In a recent Harper Lecture, Prof. Susan Stokes, faculty director of the Chicago Center on Democracy, examined protests in the context of the global pandemic. In a conversation moderated by Kevin Kromash, CCD Senior Research Associate, Prof. Stokes drew from her...

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“Why Bother” wins the David O. Sears Book Award

“Why Bother” wins the David O. Sears Book Award

Why Bother?: Rethinking Participation in Elections and Protests, co-authored by CCD faculty director Susan Stokes and S. Erdem Aytaç, has received the 2020 David O. Sears Book Award from the International Society of Political Psychology. This award is given for the...

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A Message from CCD’s Faculty Director

To the Chicago Center on Democracy community: I would like to reach out to you to share a few of my thoughts, given the past few weeks' whirlwind of protests, news coverage, and conversations sparked by the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and other...

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New essay, “Why Protest?,” co-authored by Susan Stokes

New essay, “Why Protest?,” co-authored by Susan Stokes

Susan Stokes, faculty chair of the Chicago Center on Democracy, has co-authored a new essay in The Wilson Quarterly on the rise of mass protests over the past decade. She and her co-author, S. Erdem Aytaç, describe the mass demonstrations that have taken place across...

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Democratic Erosion Summer Internship

Democratic Erosion Summer Internship

The Chicago Center on Democracy had the privilege of organizing a summer internship for five undergraduate students this past summer. We collaborated with Brown University, such that three UChicago students and two Brown students worked as a cohort on some innovative,...

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Campaign finance reform event on CAN TV

Campaign finance reform event on CAN TV

Chicago Center on Democracy's March 5th conference on campaign finance reform, which we co-organized with the Paul Douglas Institute and Reform for Illinois, was recorded and broadcast by CAN TV, which is "an independent nonprofit established by the City of Chicago in...

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Bright Line Watch in The New Yorker

Bright Line Watch in The New Yorker

The New Yorker recently covered Bright Line Watch's recent study that explores voters' commitment to democratic norms. These norms include respect for universal access to voting and deference to the decisions of courts (even when they believe the courts made the wrong...

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The power of isolationist rhetoric

The power of isolationist rhetoric

Susan Stokes, Faculty Director of the Chicago Center on Democracy, recently spoke at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs about the use of isolationist rhetoric by politicians. She draws from a psychological framework called cognitive appraisal theory to explain why...

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Two new reports on the state of U.S. democracy

Two new reports on the state of U.S. democracy

Bright Line Watch, a multi-university consortium housed at the University of Chicago’s Chicago Center on Democracy has released two new reports on the state of U.S. democracy. Since February, 2017, Bright Line Watch has conducted surveys – both of political science...

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