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American Democracy Initiative
About IGP’s American Democracy Initiative
Led by Alexander Hertel-Fernandez, Herbert Lehman Professor of Government in the Faculty of International and Public Affairs, IGP’s American Democracy Initiative convenes leading scholars and practitioners with SIPA’s world-class faculty to develop and disseminate actionable ideas to deepen and defend American democracy. IGP’s American Democracy Initiative will bring fresh ideas and strategies to these challenges, facilitating original research, convening scholars and experts, translating research into actionable strategy, and communicating with civil society leaders and government officials across the political spectrum.
Featured News and Events
On August 6, the Institute of Global Politics held a Rapid Response webinar titled “What University Settlements Mean for Higher Education, Civil Society, and Democracy.” The discussion featured Ester Fuchs, professor of international and public affairs and political science, director of the Urban and Social Policy concentration, and IGP Affiliated Faculty member at Columbia SIPA; Olatunde Johnson, Ruth Bader Ginsburg '59 Professor of Law at Columbia Law School and IGP Affiliated Faculty member at Columbia SIPA; and David Pozen, Charles Keller Beekman Professor of Law at Columbia Law School. The conversation was moderated by Alexander Hertel-Fernandez, Herbert Lehman Professor of Government and IGP Faculty Advisory Board member at Columbia SIPA.
Essay Series: The Rise of Populism and the Future of Economic Policy
In a collaboration with the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, Professor Alexander Hertel-Fernandez commissioned a series of essays from economists, political scientists, and sociologists on why economic policymakers need to consider defining the protection of democracy as a goal for economic policy design. The essays outline how economic policy failures contributed to the rise of right-wing populism, how populist leaders channeled mass discontent from economic policy failures into political power, and how future economic policy design might dampen the mass appeal of right-wing populism that threatens democracy. You can read more about the essay series and read Alexander Hertel-Fernandez’s essay with Equitable Growth President Shayna Strom here:
Governmental Attacks on Civil Society—Lessons for the US from Around the Globe
IGP hosted a Rapid Response webinar on the rise in authoritarian attacks on civil society institutions, such as universities, media, law firms, and non-profit groups, exploring lessons that can be drawn from comparative and historical experiences. The discussion featured Timothy Frye, Marshall D. Shulman Professor of Post-Soviet Foreign Policy at Columbia University; M. Victoria Murillo, Columbia SIPA professor of political science, director of the Institute of Latin American Studies, and IGP Faculty Advisory Board member; and Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist, cofounder and CEO of Rappler, Columbia SIPA professor of practice, and IGP Affiliated Faculty member. The conversation was moderated by Alexander Hertel-Fernandez, Herbert H. Lehman Professor of Government at Columbia SIPA.
The Hon. Roy K. Altman, US District Court Judge for the Southern District of Florida and IGP Carnegie Distinguished Fellow, and the Hon. Steve Higginson, Circuit Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, discuss the purpose and function of the judiciary in American democracy in this panel moderated by Jamal Greene, Dwight Professor of Law at Columbia Law School.
What We Do
Research and Policy Solutions
We synthesize and distill original research to communicate with a broader audience of government and civil society decision makers.
Partnerships
We facilitate partnerships between civil society groups and IGP research teams to produce the informative and actionable research that leaders need to create change and strengthen democracy.
Convenings
We engage IGP Affiliated Faculty members, experts, and leaders from government, civil society, and the private sector for candid conversations that inform future research and action.
Our Areas of Focus
Economic Policy for Democracy
What role has economic and social policy played in laying the foundation for the surge in populist authoritarian leaders, and what kind of economic and social policy could curtail such leaders and movements in the future?
Research has documented how trade policy, changes to the welfare state, and changes to industrial policy have all contributed to the rise of authoritarian populism. IGP’s American Democracy Initiative explores how economic and social policy designs can build stronger support for an egalitarian democracy responsive to all citizens.
Read more about our work here:
The Political Economy of Democratic Resilience
What role can the private sector, including business and labor, play in defending democratic institutions and norms?
As major pillars of the economy and society, business and labor organizations can play an important role in bolstering civil society against authoritarianism. IGP’s American Democracy Initiative analyzes the requisite conditions for businesses and labor organizations, including their members and leaders, to protect against democratic backsliding and contribute to democratic resilience.
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Reimagining the Administrative State
How can we design an administrative state that underpins a more responsive, inclusive, and resilient democracy?
Authoritarian leaders often target the administrative state and the independent civil service to undermine rules-based policy implementation in favor of personalistic deals. This line of attack can be effective because some critiques of the administrative state – that it can be slow, ineffective, and not sufficiently responsive to many segments of the public – capture some truth. IGP’s American Democracy Initiative looks to reimagine the administrative state to address these critiques and ensure appropriately nimble responsiveness to all citizens.
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Federalism and Democratic Resilience
How can states and localities capitalize on the success of democratically adopted economic and social policies to support robust civil society, counter democratic backsliding, and buttress democratic resilience?
In the United States and other federated democracies, states and localities enjoy immense policymaking and legal authority. IGP’s American Democracy Initiative interrogates how states and localities can use their power to challenge authoritarianism and implement policies and strategies designed to rebuild trust in government and faith in democracy.
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Our Team
Alexander Hertel-Fernandez is the Herbert H. Lehman Professor of Government at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. He previously served in senior leadership roles in the Biden-Harris Administration, including as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the US Department of Labor and as a senior fellow at the White House Office of Management and Budget.
His teaching and research focus on understanding the intersection between politics and markets in the United States. He is co-director of Columbia's Labor Lab, which uses social science tools in partnership with labor organizations to build worker power. He is also the co-director of the Consortium on the American Political Economy, which supports scholars studying the intersection of markets and democracy in the United States. He is the author or co-editor of three books that have won multiple national prizes, including State Capture (Oxford, 2018), Politics at Work (Oxford, 2019), and The American Political Economy (Cambridge, 2021).
