The Status of U.S. Democracy

The Institute for Data, Democracy & Politics (IDDP) is launched its Food for Thought series on Tuesday, March 24, 2025. Designed to spark curiosity and conversation, Food for Thought brings together faculty and IDDP affiliates who want to share their research with the broader university community. Each session highlights innovative work and invites open, candid discussion across disciplines. Enjoy great ideas, thoughtful dialogue—and lunch is on us.

To kick off the series we welcomed Jennifer Victor, Professor of Political Science at George Mason University. Professor Victor's timely discussion explored the ways in which democracy is defined and measured, how the U.S. stacks up, what explains the U.S.’s current status, and where we go from here.