The Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy

The Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy aims not just to promote, but to understand, democracy. Global in its outlook, multifaceted in its purposes, the Mitchell Center seeks to contribute to the ongoing quest for democratic values, ideas, and institutions throughout the world.

Upcoming Events

Less Aid, Less Peacemaking?

How Shifting US Policy Is Reshaping Humanitarian Crises in Africa

Changes in US foreign policy, from sweeping cuts to foreign assistance to shifting diplomatic priorities, are sending ripples through humanitarian operations around the world. Those effects are especially resonant in Africa, where conflicts like the civil wars in Sudan and…

Democracy Under Siege

a film screening and conversation

“Political cartoons were born with democracy. And they are challenged when freedom is.” — Patrick Chappatte, 2019 Join the Andrea Michell Center and Public Trust for Democracy Under Siege, a film screening and conversation on Tuesday, October 28, 2026 from 5:30-7:30pm, about the…

Loyalty, Resentment, and Memory in Syria

Join Samer Abboud, Professor of Global Interdisciplinary Studies and Director of the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies at Villanova University, for a discussion of the legacies of the Assad regime and the challenges facing Syria's political transition. Drawing on his recent…

Intimations of a New World Order

Annual Theme 2027

Through monthly events involving leading scholars and other thought leaders from around the world, the Mitchell Center each year investigates a topic central to the study of democracy. This series will explore shifting global political dynamics, in such areas as trade, migration, sovereignty, technology, democratization, democratic backsliding, and the foreign policy ambitions of major states, to examine how the middle of the 21st century may differ markedly from its opening decades.

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Center News

Daily Pennsylvanian Covers Joint AMC/Katz Center Event

In July, Penn resolved its dispute with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission without turning over personal information about its Jewish employees. Months later, questions about the investigation and its implications for the University remain.

The Andrea Mitchell Center Podcast

The Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy aims not just to promote, but to understand, democracy. Global in its outlook, multifaceted in its purposes, the Mitchell Center seeks to contribute to the ongoing quest for democratic values, ideas, and institutions throughout the world. In Andrea Mitchell Center Podcast, we interview scholars, journalists, and public thinkers grappling with the challenges facing our democracy.