Democracy and Elections Program
CivicPulse’s Democracy and Elections Program covers work on constituent engagement, the role of local media, and our ongoing work on threats, harassment, and political violence.
Ongoing Democracy and Elections Projects
Polarization in America Series
Our Polarization in America research is a three-part series funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Through this series, we benchmark the impact that polarization is having on local communities over time and identify how polarization is emerging, what solutions local leaders are implementing, and the potential of those solutions to be applied by others.
Threats and Harassment Dashboard
In partnership with the Bridging Divides Initiative (BDI) at Princeton University, CivicPulse has been tracking the rate at which local elected leaders are experiencing threats, harassment, or physical attacks since the summer of 2022.
Past Democracy and Elections Research
- Research Report
December 9, 2025
Polarization in America Local Government Series: December 2025 - Research Brief
October 30, 2024
In their own words: Election officials on addressing distrust and fears of violence - Research Report
October 23, 2024
Polarization in America Local Government Series: October 2024 - Research Brief
January 31, 2024
Consequences of Hostility on Local Governance - Research Brief
November 30, 2023
Update on Local Government News Deserts - Research Brief
September 26, 2023
The Cost of Local Government Leadership - Research Brief
February 28, 2023
How Local Elected Officials Navigate Experiences of Hostility on Social Media - Academic Papers
October 20, 2022
Local News and the Electoral Incentive to Invest in Infrastructure - Partner Report
February 21, 2021
American Democracy at the Start of the Biden Presidency - Partner Report
April 17, 2019
Democratic Values and Perceived Performance - Research Report
May 20, 2025
Polarization in America Local Government Series: May 2025 - Research Brief
October 29, 2024
Who perpetrates acts of hostility against local and state officials? - Research Brief
May 31, 2024
How Many Local Elections Are Uncontested? - Partner Report
January 25, 2024
Intimidation of State and Local Officeholders: The Threat to Democracy - Research Brief
November 30, 2023
How Hostility is Affecting Both Parties - Research Report
September 23, 2023
Local Government Threats and Harassment Benchmarking Report - Research Report
January 1, 2023
Local Government Threats and Harassment Benchmarking Report - Research Brief
April 30, 2022
Dismal levels of media coverage of local government board meetings - Research Report
October 20, 2020
Patterns of Local Protest against COVID-19 Restrictions across America - Research Brief
January 29, 2025
Local Officials’ Confidence in Electoral Process High After Election - Research Brief
October 29, 2024
Incumbent State Legislators Face Heightened Rates of Hostile Incidents - Research Brief
April 30, 2024
Impact of Hostility on School Board Officials Mirrors Experiences of Other Officials - Academic Papers
December 1, 2023
Threats as Political Communication - Research Report
November 30, 2023
Local Government Threats and Harassment Benchmarking Report - Partner Report
May 25, 2023
In Their Own Words: Threats and Harassment Facing Local Officials - Research Brief
December 14, 2022
High Rates of Harassment and Threats May Deter Entry Into Local Politics - Academic Papers
December 12, 2021
Listening to the people: politicians’ investment in monitoring public opinion and their beliefs about accountability - Research Brief
July 13, 2020
Improving citizen engagement in online forums & public meetings
Support Democracy and Elections Research
Work with us on research
We are interested in learning about your projects that align with our Democracy and Elections Program. Please don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@civicpulse.org.
Support our program
We are always happy to hear from potential supporters who are interested in funding a specific program. Email us at info@civicpulse.org to learn more about how CivicPulse uses program grants.