CENTER ON DEMOCRACY, DEVELOPMENT AND THE RULE OF LAW

The Program on American Democracy seeks to understand problems such as ineffective governance, gridlock and polarization, and declining trust in institutions in the United States in comparative perspective, with particular attention to the structure and functioning of other established democracies.

The Program on Arab Reform and Democracy at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law at Stanford University examines the different social and political dynamics within Arab countries and the evolution of their political systems, focusing on the prospects, conditions and possible pathways for democratic reform in the region.

The mission of the Global Digital Policy Incubator at Stanford’s Center for Democracy Development and the Rule of Law is to inspire policy and governance innovations that reinforce democratic values, universal human rights, and the rule of law in the digital realm. Its purpose is to serve as a collaboration hub for the development of norms, guidelines, and laws that enhance freedom, security, and trust in the global digital ecosystem.

Global Populisms project examines the global surge in populist movements and what it means for established democratic rules and institutions.

The Governance Project seeks to better conceptualize and measure governance. Initially, we are trying to understand how it functions in two societies ­­— the Peoples Republic of China and the United States but also expanding to additional countries. Led by FSI senior fellow and Mosbacher Director of CDDRL Francis Fukuyama, the project begins with the premise that governance is a characteristic of modern polities concerning the delivery of public services that is different from either democratic institutions or the rule of law.

Established in 2010 and led by Professor Beatriz Magaloni, the Poverty, Violence and Governance Lab is dedicated to the study of the causes and consequences of criminal violence in the developing world and to the design and evaluation of interventions that reduce crime and improve security in areas of weak governance. With a focus on Latin America, where more than 30% of the world's homicides occur, our Lab uses the most advanced analytical tools in the social sciences to understand what works and what doesn’t to control violence, improve the performance and accountability of security institutions and the police, reduce human rights violations, and provide opportunities for at-risk youth.

The Project on Democracy and the Internet seeks to promote research, convenings, and courses that engage with the new challenges technologies pose to democracy in the digital age. The Principal investigators for this project are Nate Persily, James B. McClatchy Professor of Law, and Francis Fukuyama, Mosbacher Director of the Center for Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law at the Freeman Spogli Institute. The project is supported by the Knight Foundation.