The Center for Critical Democracy Studies (CCDS)

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The Center for Critical Democracy Studies fosters an interdisciplinary approach to questions of democracy. Purposely aligned with AUP’s liberal arts curriculum, the Center encourages all fields from the natural and environmental sciences to the social sciences and humanities to explore democracy as a social state, a political regime, or a form of agency. Center-sponsored research is global, inter- and trans-disciplinary. The Center has been part of D.Rad, OppAttune, and CO3, multinational Horizon Europe projects supported by the EU research & innovation program. It publishes The Tocqueville Review/La Revue Tocqueville, Analyse & Kritik and “Tocqueville21”, and organizes conferences and events around key themes of democracy’s past, present, and future. The Center sponsors scholars-in-residence to give talks, and pedagogy seminars for faculty and student workshops. It develops pedagogical initiatives designed to foster critical thinking on the history, theory, and practice of democracy.

Research Projects

Horizon grants, collaborations

Curriculum

Courses, democracy labs, prison education, clinical projects, student research

Publications

Tocqueville Review, Analyse & Kritik

Past Events

Conferences, symposia, lectures

Community

Fellows, visiting scholars, interns

Mission of the Center

The Center for Critical Democracy Studies (CCDS) promotes the practice, study and life of democracy both within and beyond the University. The Center builds on AUP’s mission to educate global citizens by exploring fundamental and practical questions of emancipatory political life through talks, conferences and lectures with international guests; sponsorship of courses and events across campus; and its publication of The Tocqueville Review/La Revue Tocqueville.