The University of Michigan has granted five faculty-led research initiatives the Presidential Awards for Understanding Democracy, providing funding to support interdisciplinary exploration into the function and potential of democratic systems. These awards are part of the broader Year of Democracy, Civic Empowerment, and Global Engagement, a universitywide initiative launched in June 2024 that seeks to deepen civic understanding and engagement through scholarship, teaching, and public events. Over $525,000 has now been allocated to support democracy-related research and activities across U-M’s Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses. The initiative is co-chaired by Jenna Bednar, professor of political science and public policy, who emphasized the breadth of U-M’s disciplinary expertise in democracy research. .

Awarded Projects Include:.

Observatory of Attitudes Toward Public-Serving Institutions (OATLI): Led by Sabina Tomkins and Ariel Hasell, this project will build an open-source infrastructure to analyze public sentiment toward democratic institutions using social media data.

Learning about Executive Power in a Democracy: Kenneth Lowande will conduct a pioneering pilot study on how Americans consume news related to executive actions in the U.S. government. .

Democracy & Design: Anya Sirota, Sharon Haar, and Ishan Pal Singh will explore how the architectural design of public spaces affects democratic participation and exclusion through an exhibition and public programming. .

Understanding Democracy in the Age of Misinformation: Cesi Cruz will use a case study of the Philippines, employing social network analysis and field experiments to understand the spread of misinformation.

“Imagining Freedom”: Mara Ostfeld and Ignangeli Salinas-Muniz will analyze how institutional narratives shape political imagination and aspirations for democracy in U.S. territories.

The awards prioritize both academic innovation and community engagement, addressing themes such as digital misinformation, institutional trust, spatial equity, and colonial legacies. The framing of the university’s press material highlights democratic learning as a collective process and positions the university as a central node in fostering informed civic participation. The initiative reflects a strategic institutional emphasis on multidisciplinary approaches to democracy, leveraging the university's academic resources to address real-world political and civic challenges.