Research

About

Part of CDDRL's mission is to understand how countries can overcome poverty, instability, and abusive rule to become prosperous, just, democratic, and well-governed states. This concern for the overall trajectory of national development—and for the intricate links among the economic, political, legal, social, and health dimensions of development—sets CDDRL apart from other research centers.

Research Programs

Program on American Democracy in Comparative Perspective

Conducts policy-relevant research related to effective governance in the United States.

Program on American Democracy in Comparative Perspective

Program on Arab Reform and Development

Examines the different social and political dynamics within Arab countries and the evolution of their political systems.

Program on Arab Reform and Development

Wall plastered with posters and graffiti text reading "DEMOCRACY NOW"

Democracy Action Lab

Produces action-oriented research and practitioner-focused resources to equip democracy defenders with the evidence, tools, and strategies to strengthen democratic governance.

Democracy Action Lab

Crowd of people with transparent overlay of global currencies

Program on Capitalism and Democracy

Exploring how capitalism interacts with democratic institutions.

Program on Capitalism and Democracy

A young boy from the remote Turkana tribe in Northern Kenya stands on a dried up river bed on November 9, 2009 near Lodwar, Kenya.

Climate Change and Democracy

Investigating the changing politics of a warming world.

Climate Change and Democracy

Woman standing in audience speaking to two men on big screen at America in One Room convening

Deliberative Democracy Lab

Devoted to research about democracy and public opinion obtained through Deliberative Polling®.

Deliberative Democracy Lab

Security preparations for the 2021 presidential inauguration

Democratic Fragility and Conflict

Researching the causes of democratic fragility and conflict and what we can do to build peaceful inclusive societies.

Democratic Fragility and Conflict

Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C. [A wide-angle view of marchers along the mall, showing the Reflecting Pool and the Washington Monument.]

Program on Identity, Democracy, and Justice

Thinking about identity and democracy in service of a more equitable and just world.

Program on Identity, Democracy, and Justice

Global Digital Policy Incubator

Enhancing freedom, security, and trust in the global digital ecosystem.

Global Digital Policy Incubator

Global Infrastructure Policy Research Initiative

Conducts interdisciplinary research on infrastructure public policy, investment, and governance.

Global Infrastructure Policy Research Initiative

The Governance Project

Seeks to better conceptualize and measure governance.

The Governance Project

Buildings along the Tel Aviv-Jaffa coast of Israel during sunrise

Jan Koum Israel Studies Program

Advancing student, faculty, and public knowledge of modern Israel through cross-disciplinary education and research.

Jan Koum Israel Studies Program

Poverty, Violence, and Governance Lab

Aims to provide solutions to lawlessness and violence.

Poverty, Violence, and Governance Lab

Program on Turkey

A platform for critical analysis and research on politics and society in Turkey.

Program on Turkey

Research Archive

Global Populisms

Examines the global surge in populist movements and what it means for established democratic rules and institutions.

Syrian internally displaced people walk in the Atme camp, along the Turkish border in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib, on March 19, 2013.

The Program on Human Rights

Seeks to understand how strategies of human rights can best be deployed to advance social justice, freedom, equality, development and the rule of law.

Program on Liberation Technology

Seeks to understand how information technology can be used to improve governance, empower the poor, defend human rights, promote economic development, and pursue other social goods.

State Building and the Rule of Law

Promotes excellence in legal education in Afghanistan, Rwanda, Kurdish Iraq, Timor Leste and Bhutan.

Fekat Circus, downtown at dusk. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Program on Urbanization and Development

Studies the changing economic, social, and political conditions in two of Africa’s largest cities.

Program on Urbanization and Development

People

CDDRL is a multi-disciplinary center, and our faculty, researchers, and affiliates hail from across the University the fields of law, philosophy, history, political science, economics, medicine, business, and computer science.

Our Researchers

Publications

Browse cutting-edge scholarship on the themes of global, political, and economic development.

Our Publications