New center at KU to catalyze research on democratic governance
LAWRENCE — A new research center housed at the Institute for Policy & Social Research at the University of Kansas will advance understanding of democratic governance. The Center for Democratic Governance is led by Christopher Koliba, Edwin O. Stene Distinguished Professor in the School of Public Affairs & Administration and a fellow with the National Academy of Public Administration.
“We launch the CDG at a critical time in our nation’s history,” Koliba said. “During the recent presidential election both sides claimed that democracy was on the ballot. We’re looking to have the CDG be a space for critical reflection, rigorous scholarship and intentional outreach regarding the threats democratic institutions are facing. We intend to do so by engaging people from across disciplines in an effort to center democracy right here in the heartland.”
The Center for Democratic Governance serves as a catalyst for the elevation of democratic governance studies, research and modeling to advance theory creation, normative examination, empirical analysis, governance design, advocacy and education particularly in regard to the environmental, technical and social threats facing liberal democracies.
Koliba recently presented his distinguished professor inaugural lecture, “‘We Don’t Know What We’ve Got ‘Til It’s Gone’ – Standards for Taking Democracy Seriously.” In the lecture, Koliba reached back to the foundations of liberalism to identify its core concepts as the right to pursue “the good life,” the value of pluralism and the ability to coexist peacefully. He appealed to practitioners across fields, including in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and engineering, to consider how to center democracy in their work.
Koliba said, “The beautiful things about liberal democracies lie in their adherence to a set of values that are enduring, including adherence to citizen authority, checks on power, the elevation of individual rights, the promotion of tolerance, and an appeal to truth and reason. These values permeate every facet of the academy. And judging from the level of interest from folks across many disciplines, we’ve hit on something important.”
Under Koliba’s leadership, the center already has a portfolio of research projects underway. These include a series of essays and empirical studies on democratic accountability, a database of case studies on collaborative governance of energy transitions and an exploration of state preemptive policies that block local government action using policy narrative analysis.
Faculty, students and staff from across KU are invited to affiliate with the center, pool resources and expertise, collaborate on interdisciplinary projects, pursue funding, and elevate their own efforts to examine and elevate liberal democracy.