CFR Launches Next Phase of Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy

Thanks to a generous new grant from the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Foundation, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) has extended the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy for an additional five years. Launched in January 2021, this multi-faceted project examines threats to democratic governance, provides recommendations to strengthen democratic institutions, and promotes informed public debate through meetings, publications, and outreach. 

“Over the past three years, the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy has been a leading source of nonpartisan research and analysis on the state of democracy and democratic reforms worldwide,” said CFR President Michael Froman. “We are grateful to Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel and the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Foundation for their continued support of this vital initiative at a time when democratic institutions and norms face serious threats at home and abroad. This grant will allow CFR to build on the success of the inaugural phase of the project by pursuing an ambitious new research agenda on the future of democracy.” 

In its next phase, the project will examine the multitude of threats facing democratic governance and norms—including new technologies, inequality, polarization, and populism. The project will continue to monitor and analyze the state of democracy in various regions around the world and outline steps that policymakers, business leaders, civil society, and citizens can take to reverse the erosion of democratic norms and values. 

Additionally, the project will add to its research agenda a particular focus on the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) for democratic processes, institutions, and norms. It will explore how AI can enhance democracy, where it can serve as an impediment, and what can be done to mitigate its risks. As part of the project, CFR will launch a dedicated Diamonstein-Spielvogel meeting series on democracy. 

The project will involve a dozen or so experts in CFR’s David Rockefeller Studies Program, including Senior Fellow Yascha Mounk—a leading expert on the crisis of liberal democracy and the rise of populism. Shannon K. O’Neil, vice president, deputy director of studies, and Nelson and David Rockefeller senior fellow for Latin American studies, will continue to direct the project and contribute her own research and analysis. 

For more information, please contact CFR’s Global Communications and Media Relations team at 212.434.9888 or [email protected].