All roundtables and breakout sessions follow one of three themes, indicated by color coding:
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Understanding the Shift – Sessions exploring the social, psychological, and political foundations that lead some citizens to embrace democracy and others to support its rivals. |
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Mobilizing the Citizen – Sessions examining how civic and digital arenas shape participation, from grassroots protest to online mobilization, and how pro-democratic actors can channel that energy. |
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Winning at the Ballot Box – Sessions identifying effective strategies for building and sustaining democratic majorities through campaigns, institutions, and leadership. |
First Day – Tuesday, May 19, 2026
8:30-9:00am – Registration Check-In and Coffee
9:00-9:30am – Opening
Aníbal Pérez-Liñán, University of Notre Dame
9:30-10:45am – Plenary Roundtable 1:
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Why do Citizens Stand for Democracy – or Strongmen
What factors lead voters to support authoritarian leaders, and by contrast, which enable citizens to develop an enduring commitment to democracy? Under what conditions do normative preferences for democracy translate into voting, protesting, and engaging against undemocratic parties and candidates, and when do they not? Can citizen commitment to democracy be deepened through institutional interventions or actions such as civic education, campaigning, and elite messaging?
Chair: A chair will be added once confirmed.
Luis Schiumerini, University of Notre Dame
An additional academic presenter will be added once confirmed.
Rodrigo Zarazaga, Center for Research and Social Action (CIAS)
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10:45-11:00am – Break
11:00am-12:15pm – Plenary Roundtable 2:
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When Civil Society Helps – or Hurts – Democratic Support
Can social movements, NGOs, INGOs and other civil society organizations (CSOs), intentionally or unintentionally enable support for illiberal leaders? How do would-be authoritarian leaders co-opt civil society to enhance their legitimacy in the eyes of citizens? Can civil society organizations help mobilize electoral support for pro-democratic actors? How can social movements be channeled into sustainable electoral projects?
Chair: Ann Mische, University of Notre Dame
Tomás Gold, University of Southern California
Mohammad Ali Kadivar, Boston College
A practitioner will be added once confirmed.
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12:15-1:00pm – Lunch Break
1:00-2:15pm – Breakout Sessions Block 1 (choice of two concurrent sessions):
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Option A | Resisting Democratic Backsliding Upwards: Subnational Governments and Antidemocratic Leaders in Latin America
Presented by The Permanent Symposium on Educating for Democracy (Pontificia Universidad Javeriana de Colombia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú).
Chair: F. Luis Fernando Múnera Congote, S.J, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Sebastián Líppez-De Castro, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Maria Valeria Palanza, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Jorge Aragón Trelles, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
Option B | Strengthening Democratic Resilience, Action, and Narratives Globally
What may be new and breakthrough pathways to strengthen democratic resilience and reinvigorate key democracy networks and stakeholders? What is the role of governmental and nongovernmental actors in defending vibrant democracies, as informed by the Brookings Democracy Playbook?
Presented by The Brookings Institution’s Anti-Corruption, Democracy, and Security (ACDS) Project
Speakers for this panel will be added once confirmed
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2:15-2:30pm – Break
2:30-3:45pm – Breakout Sessions Block 2 (choice of two concurrent sessions):
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Option A | From Outside, In: Evidence-based Democracy Assistance Approaches to Confronting Anti-democratic Leaders at the Ballot Box
How can political parties prevent autocrats from assuming office in the first place? How can these leaders be defeated, or at least their voting share reduced? What role can democracy assistance providers play in supporting political parties?
Presented by the Atlantic Council's Freedom and Prosperity Center
Chair: Patrick Quirk, Atlantic Council’s Freedom and Prosperity Center
Laura Gamboa, University of Notre Dame
Johanna Kao, International Republican Institute
Pedro A. Urruchurtu Noselli, Office of María Corina Machado
Derek Mitchell, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Option B | Public Opinion and Democratic Backsliding
Why are citizens willing to back – sometimes enthusiastically – democratic backsliding? What role do political competition and elite rhetoric play in such processes across Europe, Latin America and Africa?
Presented by Vanderbilt University’s Center for Global Democracy
Chair: Noam Lupu, Vanderbilt University
Rachel Riedl, Cornell University
Dan Slater, University of Michigan
Susan Stokes, University of Chicago
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3:45-4:00pm – Break
4:00-4:45pm – Keynote “Roundtable”: The Keynote for the Conference’s First Day will be added to the schedule once confirmed.
5:45-6:45pm – Reception
Second Day – Wednesday, May 20, 2026
8:30-9:00am – Registration Check-In and Coffee
9:00-9:30 am – Introduction to the Day
Aníbal Pérez-Liñán, University of Notre Dame
9:30-10:45am – Plenary Roundtable 3:
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Why Citizens Turn Away from Human Rights and How to Win Them Back
Why and how do illiberal actors engage in anti-human rights rhetoric and actions? When are citizens willing to ignore, or outright support human rights violations, and by contrast, when do citizens develop a commitment to support the rights of vulnerable populations? What strategies can be used to mobilize citizens in support of human rights, and which democratic actors are best positioned to do so? What examples from across the globe illustrate these dynamics at play?
Chair: A chair will be added once confirmed.
Abby Córdova, University of Notre Dame
Aleksander Kustov, University of Notre Dame
Noah Bullock, Cristosal Human Rights
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10:45-11:00 am – Break
11:00am-12:15pm – Plenary Roundtable 4:
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Citizen Participation via Social Media and AI
How do new media environments affect citizen attitudes and participation under democratic threat? How can pro-democratic actors counter fake news? What risks and opportunities does AI pose for mobilizing citizens for democracy?
Chair: A chair will be added once confirmed.
Dahjin Kim, University of Notre Dame
Joshua Tucker, New York University
A practitioner will be added once confirmed.
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12:15-1:00pm – Lunch Break
1:00-2:15pm – Plenary Roundtable 5:
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Winning Campaigns — Autocratic Tactics and Democratic Responses
What are typical campaign strategies that illiberal executives or parties engage in to generate autocratic support? What works when campaigning for pro-democracy forces in environments where the idea of democracy is contested, and what doesn’t? What strategies and messaging are most effective in mobilizing candidates and votes for pro-democratic parties?
Chair: A chair will be added once confirmed.
Marc Jacob, University of Notre Dame
Florian Foos, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
Seda Demiralp, Işık University
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2:15-2:30pm – Break
2:30-3:45pm – Breakout Session Block 3 (choice of two concurrent sessions):
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Option A | Pathways of Power Grabs: Confronting Autocracy at the Ballot Box in 2026
What have been the comparative pathways towards power grabs by would-be-autocrats in Hungary, Brazil, and the United States, all countries with upcoming elections in 2026? How have these leaders strategized to reach and persuade voters to vote against their interests? What strategies and actions have contributed to connect with the public in order to beat back state capture across these cases?
Presented by the German Marshall Fund
Chair: Melissa Hooper, German Marshall Fund
Daniel Hegedus, German Marshall Fund
Juan Albarracín, University of Illinois
Julia Vaughn, Common Cause Indiana
Option B | Does Autocracy Deliver? Comparing Autocracy and Democracy in the Global South
Are Autocracies better than Democracies at delivering governance outcomes, or is this a misperception? How do Pro-Autocracy narratives originate in the Global South, and who crafts them? How can we counter anti-democratic narratives and bolster the popularity of democratic governance systems?
Presented by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Chair: A chair will be added to the schedule once confirmed.
Amr Hamzawy, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Sarah Yerkes, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
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3:45-5:00pm – “Networking “ Break
5:00-6:00pm – Closing Keynote
Susan Stokes, Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago and Director of the Chicago Center for Democracy
Author of “The Backsliders: Why Leaders Undermine their own Democracies”
6:15-7:00pm – Shared Global Democracy/Keeping the Republic Conferences Reception
