Institute for Democratic Engagement & Accountability

06/23/2026

Three IDEA Summer Democracy Fellows are experiencing Washington, D.C., right now as part of our 2026 cohort.

The students are Maxwell Kiernan (left, sophomore studying Politics, Philosophy, and Economics with minors in History and Psychology).

Ryan Mahoney (center, third-year double-majoring in Political Science and Economics with a minor in History) and Elise Britton (right, third-year Political Science major with minors in Social Justice Advocacy & Public Policy and Civic Engagement).

The fellows are embedded in congressional offices on Capitol Hill through early August. Maxwell is placed in the office of Congressman Greg Landsman, Ryan in the office of Congresswoman Emilia Strong Sykes, and Elise in the office of Congresswoman Shontel Brown.

IDEA selected the students for this program and supports their placements as part of our Connecting to Congress initiative.
Watch our social media feeds for updates on their summer in D.C.

06/19/2026

Wishing everyone a meaningful Juneteenth.

06/17/2026

On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and enforced the Emancipation Proclamation, more than two years after it was issued.

At IDEA, we work every day to ensure people can exercise their full citizenship.

A recent reflection from Human Rights Watch explores what Juneteenth means for racial equity today. It makes a direct case: reparations are not solely about financial compensation, but about acknowledging harm, advancing restorative justice, and building the foundation for lasting systemic change.

The questions at the center of that reflection are fundamentally democratic:

Who is counted as a full participant in civic life?

What accountability do institutions owe to communities they have failed?

How do we build a government that people can genuinely trust?

Read the full reflection: https://lnkd.in/g7RE-Hkr

06/16/2026

For decades, political science has argued that small changes in wording can significantly shift public opinion—what’s known as the “framing effect.” People might support “aid to the poor” but oppose “welfare,” seemingly revealing confusion about policies that are assumed to be the same.

The latest post on Second Raven challenges that assumption.

Drawing on a survey of 809 respondents, the authors find that people interpret these phrases differently and can clearly explain why. “Welfare” tends to evoke specific government programs like SNAP or housing assistance, while “aid to the poor” includes a broader mix of government efforts, charities, and informal support.

In other words, respondents aren’t contradicting themselves—they’re answering two different questions.

The apparent inconsistency arises from researchers treating the terms as interchangeable when, in practice, they are not.

Read the article for more 👇

How a generation of political advisers was misled by political science.

06/11/2026

From time to time, we venture beyond our work and share something enjoyable from colleagues across Ohio State. This week, we’re focusing on your accent.

🗣️ Your voice can reveal your place of origin. Recent research conducted by Ohio State linguists suggests that it can also reveal your desired identity. In a rural Ohio county where two regional accents converge, travel patterns alone couldn’t explain why neighbors sounded different from each other. Identity played a crucial role.

Men who identified themselves through hunting, livestock, gardening, and country music used vowel sounds associated with the South and Appalachia, despite having no familial connections to these regions.

As linguist Campbell-Kibler aptly explains, the way people speak can be influenced by their desired identity, rather than just their geographical location.

Since we spend our days studying how citizens and their representatives communicate, this finding resonated deeply with us. When people speak, their identity is reflected in their voices, and attentive listening allows us to perceive this aspect as well.

📰 For the complete story, visit Ohio State News:

For people living in some parts of the United States, their accent might not just indicate where they live – but also who they think they are.In a small study in rural northwestern Ohio, researchers found that men who had a “country” identity – for example, a love of hunting and guns, pickup...

06/09/2026

We are excited to introduce Ryan Mahoney, one of our 2026 Summer Fellows!

Ryan began his fellowship this week in the office of Congresswoman Emilia Strong Sykes on Capitol Hill, where he will be working through the first week of August.

His placement reflects IDEA's commitment to connecting students with meaningful, hands-on experience in democratic governance and public service.

Stay tuned as we introduce the rest of this year's Summer Fellows cohort over the coming weeks.

Congratulations, Ryan — we are proud to have you representing IDEA in Washington!

06/02/2026

Meet Elise Britton, one of our 2026 IDEA Summer Fellows!

Elise kicked off her fellowship this week, working in the office of Congresswoman Shontel Brown () on Capitol Hill. She will be there through the first week of August, gaining hands-on experience at the intersection of democratic accountability and public service.

We are so proud to have Elise representing IDEA in Washington. Stay tuned as we introduce the rest of this year’s fellows cohort!


IDEA PublicService

06/01/2026

🦖 Okay, this one made us smile.

Turns out dinosaur parents were already doing the "you eat the good stuff, I'll have the leftovers" thing 75 million years ago.

New Ohio State research suggests Maiasaura adults fed their babies softer, more nutritious food, a parenting move we usually credit to birds.

Sometimes you just have to stop and appreciate that Ohio State paleontologists are out here decoding ancient parental guilt. 💚

🎨 Illustration by Brian Regal
📰 Read the full story:

https://news.osu.edu/dinosaur-dental-fossils-reveal-bird-like-parental-care-bonds?utm_campaign=asc_marketing-activity_fy26&utm_content=1780333921&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin

05/27/2026

05/27/2026

🇺🇦 Big news in deliberative democracy.

Three Ukrainian communities are preparing to host citizens' assemblies with support from the Council of Europe:

🔹 Obolon district in Kyiv (2025)
🔹 Rivne community (2026)
🔹 Lviv Agglomeration (2026)

Residents will be chosen by random sortition to deliberate together and bring recommendations to the local government.
This is the same field IDEA works in internationally. 🌍

EuComMeet has been embedding deliberation across the European Union. Our Deliberative Town Halls in Nigeria adapted the model for a different national context. In Chile, we tested deliberation while drafting a new constitution. The Global Innovations in Democracy Exchange connects legislators worldwide who are building these tools.

Seeing the work take root in Ukrainian communities during a war says something about why deliberation matters now. ✊

🔗 https://www.coe.int/en/web/congress/-/deliberative-democracy-in-ukraine-congress-to-support-three-citizens-assemblies-in-2025-2026