Responding to Religion in the Electoral Cycle

Religion is one key force shaping contemporary democracy, across Asia and beyond. In mid-April, the Center for Asian Democracy launched an initiative on religion and electoral institutions at a convening co-sponsored by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems and the United States Institute of Peace.

As an initial step in this initiative, Center for Asian Democracy Director David Buckley, Postdoctoral Fellow Ishani Dasgupta, and Graduate Assistant Victoria Doll traveled to Washington, DC to co-convene a first-of-its-kind workshop focused on the impact of religion on different phases of the electoral cycle. The workshop included participants from the host institutions along with multiple government agencies and non-government organizations, including the U.S. State Department, United States Agency for International Development, United Nations Development Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Catholic Relief Services. The workshop also included academic experts from Harvard University, Georgetown University, the University of Denver and Lipscomb University.

The initiative will continue beyond the 2022-23 academic year. CAD will co-publish a practitioner white paper refined through expert feedback at the April workshop, and convene future academic and policy-oriented events on the topic.