The mission of the Francis and Kathleen Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy is to examine politics and policy making in the United States—leaving Notre Dame’s distinctive imprint on the study of American democracy. With a grounding in Notre Dame’s Catholic mission, the Center facilitates research on the critical issues facing America’s democratic system, and encourages Notre Dame’s students to be engaged in both civic and political life.
The Center sponsors a variety of activities for both faculty and students, including a weekly research workshop, a speaker series, conferences, graduate research grants and support, and a thesis prize. Together with Notre Dame's Center for Social Concerns and the Tocqueville Program for Inquiry Into Religion and American Public Life, the Rooney Center is a cosponsor of NDVotes, a nonpartisan voter registration, education, and mobilization campaign on campus.
