Our faculty are leading the way in understanding and strengthening democratic norms, institutions, and civic participation. From public policy to the arts and creative expression, from fairness in the criminal justice system to good governance in boardrooms, from languages to foreign policy, scholars explore how societies govern themselves, the role of cultural engagement in democracy, and strategies for fostering more equitable, inclusive communities. Their research and creative activity inform civic and political life and make societal impacts at local, state, national, and global levels.
Democracy, Governance, + Cultural Engagement
Research stories
Groundbreaking research by Professor Natalie Hipple, Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice in the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University Bloomington, has led to the first compre... Read more about IU criminal justice expert’s research offers best-practices, guidance for police responses to homelessness
Two IU College of Arts and Sciences faculty named 2026 Guggenheim Fellows
David Polly, Professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and Chair of the department, and Christoph Irmscher, Distinguished Professor of English and the George F. Getz Jr. and Class of 1942 Profess... Read more about Two IU College of Arts and Sciences faculty named 2026 Guggenheim Fellows
Deadly disease outbreaks don’t just challenge public health, they undermine public trust in government institutions, according to new research by political scientists at Indiana University Bloomi... Read more about IU political scientist co-authors study revealing infectious disease outbreaks undermine public trust in governments, political leaders
Shannon Gayk, Professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University Bloomington, has been named a finalist for the 2025 Book Award from the Association for the Study of Lit... Read more about IU professor’s book, Apocalyptic Ecologies, shortlisted for prestigious environmental literature prize
The longstanding “publish or perish” culture in academia is coming under renewed scrutiny, as a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences argues that current incent... Read more about IU researchers co-author study challenging ‘publish or perish’ culture, call for overhaul of academic publishing