Realizing the promise of democracy
We bring people together to explore and build solutions to the greatest challenges facing democracy.
Featured
Civic Cornerstone Fellowship at UVA
The Karsh Institute’s CCF offers a sustained, formative experience unlike any other at UVA, treating dialogue as a character-shaping practice rather than simply a set of communication skills.
Election Consolidation and Scheduling in the Commonwealth
A report prepared for the Virginia General Assembly’s Joint Subcommittee to Study the Consolidation and Scheduling of General Elections in Virginia by UVA's Karsh Institute of Democracy.
50 Constitutions
The 50 Constitutions Project is a landmark effort to document and digitize the full history of every state constitution in the United States—many for the first time in an accessible format.
Events
After the Declaration
Author T. H. Breen explores how an American legal case provided the setting for the new nation to assert its political and cultural independence.
Listening to the Law: An Evening With Justice Amy Coney Barrett
Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett discusses her new book, offering her thoughts on legal interpretation, the role of the judiciary, and the broader relationship between society and the rule of law.
Democracy and Capitalism
"Can Democracy and Capitalism Be Reconciled?" is the question at the heart of a new book that explores the meaning of both democracy and capitalism and considers their inherent tensions.
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View ArchiveIn the News
Jamelle Bouie, Oren Cass, Yuval Levin, and Melissa Murray Join the Karsh Institute as Distinguished Practitioner Fellows
Four thought leaders from different fields are working with us to examine what keeps American democracy going—and how we can make it stronger.
Nine Scholars Join the Karsh Institute as Inaugural Faculty Fellows
Drawn from across schools and disciplines, these fellows are united by a shared focus on democracy’s most pressing questions.
Status Defines Friendship for Too Many Americans
Researchers Sam Pressler, a Karsh Institute fellow, and Soren Duggan produced “Nobody to Call,” a reporter based on interviews with men in their mid-20s to their mid-40s without college degrees. We’ve all experienced social atrophy, Pressler said, but for men without degrees the bottom has fallen out.
www.nytimes.com
Melody Barnes Dissects Checks and Balances, Tension Between U.S. Factions
Karsh Institute Executive Director Melody Barnes spoke about how the U.S. founding fathers designed American democracy.
chqdaily.com