.png){kind=logo}
Georgetown Democracy Initiative Hosts Inaugural Research Workshop on Democracy’s Meanings
On March 13, 2026, the Georgetown Democracy Initiative, a university-wide platform that disseminates actionable knowledge about democracy in the United States and around the globe, hosted its inaugural research workshop in the Healey Family Student Center. The event gathered professors, practitioners, and graduate students to provide feedback to the scholars presenting work, and to expand understanding of democracy’s definitions, past and present.
Workshop presenters explored why democracy is understood in multiple ways and what those varied understandings imply for the protection of democracy. To start, Stephen Sawyer of the American University of Paris presented “Democracy in an Age of Monarchy: On the Administrative Origins of the French Revolution,” discussing the history of democracy in modern France and the inherent tension between democracy and administration.
Mark Fisher of the Georgetown's Department of Government and the Georgetown Initiative on Artificial Intelligence and Democratic Citizenship followed with his presentation of “Demokratia before Democratic Theory: An Alternative History of Early Democratic Thought,” arguing that early democratic thinking drew heavily on the archaic ideology of heroic monarchy, especially in justifying its power over the fifth-century BCE empire.
After a short break, Katherine Krimmel of Barnard College, Columbia University presented “Beyond Policy: The Rise of Non-Programmatic Party Competition in Advanced Democracies,” which she co-authored with Didi Kuo. She discussed the decline of programmatic party competition, particularly in the context of a changing media landscape.
Finally, Maria Snegovaya of Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service presented “What Democracy Do Populist Voters Want?", which she co-authored with Tsveta Petrova and Kerem Tuncer. Her paper focused on democratic preferences of populist voters in Hungary and Poland, concluding that they prioritize majoritarian candidates over liberal ones.
During the discussion portion of the event, attendees offered the presenters feedback on their arguments, provided literature recommendations, and suggested further topics for exploration—underscoring the importance of continued discourse and research on democracy’s meanings.