About the Center

The Center for the Study of Democratic Governance was inaugurated at the University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign on October 26, 2004. The Center was established through the initiative of Professor Peter F. Nardulli, the support of Dean Jesse G. Delia, and the commitment of Richard G. and Carole J. Cline. The Cline family provided the Center's founding endowment. Moreover, Richard G. Cline's wisdom and energy was invaluable in translating the vision of the Center into a concrete organizational structure.

The Center's operations during its embryonic stage have also been enhanced by financial support from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a number of individuals, corporate entities and foundations. A partial list of the Center's benefactors includes: Richard G. and Carole J. Cline; Robert Aaron; Samuel K. Gove; Jay and Shelley Sarver; The Joyce Foundation; The McCormick Tribune Foundation; Nicor, Inc.; The Northern Trust Company; and PepsiAmericas

The Cline Center was designed with a global focus and an ambitious objective: to enhance the operation of democracy through rigorous study and open dialogue. The scope of its activities include the following:

• To stimulate integrative thinking about how democratic values and principles can be better realized in the operations of government;

• To disseminate findings and conclusions to inform real-world debates about political reform;

• To generate a stream of highly motivated, broadly trained and ethically aware civic leaders for the 21st century;

• To better understand how authoritarian regimes can be democratized and how new democracies can be strengthened;

• To enhance our understanding of the how democratic forms of government, in concert with various public and private institutions, can provide the means to pursue a set of just and equitable ends that are essential to societal welfare; and,

• To perpetuate an appreciation for the role that democratic forms of government must play in balancing the need for order and stability while allowing for the freedom and individuality that is necessary for the pursuit of "life, liberty and happiness."