As America has reflected in recent years on the strength of our democracy in an era of hyperpartisanship, a former deputy chief of staff to Donald Trump and a former chief of staff to Nancy Pelosi have both visited Princeton’s campus at the invitation of the University’s Center for the Study of Democratic Politics (CSDP) to share their insights and aspirations for government as it’s practiced in the nation’s halls of powers.
Inviting such ideologically diverse perspectives is one of the hallmarks of the influential center, where scholars and practitioners from across the political spectrum find common ground in their shared commitment to strengthening democratic ideals and institutions. Faculty affiliated with CSDP conduct rigorous social science research on the issues of our day.
“At a time when democratic institutions around the world find themselves on shaky ground, the Center for the Study of Democratic Politics, with its exceptional faculty, provides vital training to future scholars and policymakers on how to protect and strengthen them,” said Amaney Jamal, dean of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA). “In addition, by welcoming speakers and perspectives from across the political spectrum, CSDP regularly shows us what constructive dialogue looks like on a university campus.”
On Oct. 23, the center will host three polling experts from across the aisle for a pre-election panel to share insights on voter concerns, political strategies and the electoral landscape going into the Nov. 5 presidential election.
“Decoding the Vote: Data-Driven Insights for the 2024 Election” will feature Christina Coloroso, executive director of the progressive campaign consulting company Analyst Institute; alumnus Joe Lenski ’87, co-founder and executive vice president of the exit polling firm Edison Research; and Chris Wilson, CEO of WPA Intelligence, which has consulted for candidates including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
A ‘bedrock commitment to democracy’
CSDP is a research program within Princeton SPIA established in 1999 by Larry Bartels, the Donald E. Stokes Professor in Public and International Affairs, emeritus. Today, the center is co-directed by Tali Mendelberg, the John Work Garrett Professor of Politics, and Frances Lee, a professor of politics and public affairs.
CSDP brings experts and government officials into dialogue with Princeton social scientists and students who embrace this “bedrock commitment to democracy,” Mendelberg said, encouraging discussion that upholds norms of pluralism, tolerance and respect. Mendelberg will moderate the Oct. 23 polling conversation.
Through its academic-based programs, CSDP provides people of opposing views with a platform for expression, like the events with Chris Liddell from the Trump administration and John Lawrence from former House Speaker Pelosi’s office, who visited separately within 18 months of each other.
Following the 2024 election, CSDP will host panels on Nov. 20 and Dec. 2 to look back and assess. The November event, moderated by Lee, features political analyst Amy Walter, the publisher and editor-in-chief of The Cook Political Report. The December panel will bring in a range of campaign consultants, election analysts and scholars.
The intent is to consider “how political actors from different perspectives approach problems,” Lee said. “The goal is to help illuminate the issues, to help people understand the political world better.”
Leaders in social science research and political problem-solving
CSDP also studies key issues to inform the public’s understanding of how our political systems function, to propose solutions, and to promote democratic practices. “The center’s focus is on using neutral social science research and educational programming to produce knowledge about the political world, its problems, and how people perceive them,” Mendelberg said.
In their scholarly work, Princeton faculty researchers affiliated with CSDP examine and address the most pressing issues facing American democracy, including political polarization, misinformation, and unequal power dynamics in modern politics. Among them:
Nolan McCarty, the Susan Dod Brown Professor of Politics and Public Affairs, is a widely cited expert on political polarization, particularly in the nation’s legislature. The now-entrenched partisan divide poses significant consequences for governance, McCarty said, because of its ability to “undermine the role of Congress in fulfilling its constitutional duties.”
McCarty also co-chairs the Task Force on the Power of the Purse, a subcommittee of the Princeton Initiative on Restoring the Constitutional Powers of Congress at CSDP, an ongoing collaboration between scholars and former Congressmembers led by former U.S. Rep. Mickey Edwards. McCarty will present the task force’s recommendations for transparency, accountability, and congressional review of executive spending in a report to Capitol Hill audiences after the election.