Mission & Objectives

The mission of the Cline Center for Democracy is to initiate a set of activities that will nurture, refine and extend one of civilization's greatest contributions to human welfare: democratic political orders. No other system of government provides the structure, stability and dynamism needed to harness human and natural resources for the benefit of society. While history suggests that enhancing the practice and expanding the scope of democratic governance will enhance well-being, there are no guarantees that the current trend toward democratization will continue. Or that the potential contributions of democracy to society will be maximized.

The objectives of the Cline Center are twofold:

• to generate a stream of ideas, research, and information that will address ethical, structural, and procedural issues that affect the vitality of democracy; and,  

• to inspire new generations of students who will re-invigorate civic life in the United States and make important contributions to the refinement and global expansion of democracy.