Insights

With political violence on the rise and fracturing stable nations, the future of democracy in Latin America is reaching a critical point, says a University of Michigan researcher.

By winning more than 135 seats in the 199-seat legislative body, Magyar’s Tisza party has not just secured a majority but a supermajority in the Hungarian parliament.

The state's "I voted" sticker contest is back, and all Michiganders are able to submit designs. 

When federal agencies propose new regulations, the public is invited to weigh in. Individuals, advocacy groups, and organizations can submit comments responding to proposed rules, offer expertise, or share how a policy might affect them.

In new research, Associate Professor Alain Cohn and PhD student Qingyi Wang, both in the School of Information, explore what drives affective polarization by examining how beliefs about political opponents shape both political attitudes and behavior.

When researchers at U-M try to study how political attitudes have shifted over time, they often turn to one of the most comprehensive archives of American democracy: The Congressional Record.

But there's a problem.

University of Michigan researcher Joyojeet Pal has been tracking how politicians in India use platforms like YouTube and Instagram. Along the way, his research revealed a simple truth: political influence is moving away from news desks and into creator-driven spaces.

When sociologist Jacob Lederman began tracing the rise of placemaking, now a central concept in urban planning and community design, he encountered a complicated mix of good intentions, liberal philanthropy, and elite influence.

In an era where Americans increasingly live, socialize, and get news in politically like-minded circles, one place still brings people with different political identities together: the workplace.

When Resident Dramaturg and Lecturer in Theatre Studies, Karin Waidley, returned to northern Kenya this past September, she was building on years of collaboration with community members, advocates, and fellow artists dedicated to using performance as a tool for empowerment.

In a moment when misinformation seems impossible to contain and political divides feel sharper than ever, most strategies aimed at addressing the problem still rely on a familiar playbook: correct the facts, show the evidence, and provide the authoritative link. It assumes that if people have the “right” information, they will use it.

At a moment when national politics can feel increasingly polarized, a new report from the University of Michigan suggests a more hopeful story unfolding much closer to home.

As part of the Democracy's Information Dilemma conference, graduate students showcased their research projects on an array of topics on democracy.

The IHP is committed to challenging our conception of the past and taking action to build a truly inclusive present and future.

The Center for Racial Justice published a research brief on collective remembrance of the history of U.S. racism.

Since summer 2016, U-M’s Bentley Historical Library has been working to uncover the names and stories of all African American students who attended the University of Michigan from its founding to 1980.

Associate Professor Allen Hicken explores how votes are bought in contemporary democracies.

Professor Ann Pitcher answers with a case study of the 2019 Mozambique elections.

How do our information ecosystems threaten democracy and election integrity?