Vanderbilt’s Center for Global Democracy partners with Notre Dame’s Kellogg Institute to launch the 2025/26 AmericasBarometer survey
Vanderbilt University’s Center for Global Democracy is partnering with the University of Notre Dame’s Kellogg Institute for International Studies to carry forward one of the world’s leading surveys on democratic governance. Starting in October 2025, the Center for Global Democracy, with support from the Kellogg Institute, will conduct the 2025/26 round of the AmericasBarometer, which tracks public opinion on democracy in 20 countries across the Americas.
“The insights from decades of AmericasBarometer surveys are invaluable for understanding democratic trends,” said Noam Lupu, director of the Center for Global Democracy and professor of political science. “This new collaboration with Notre Dame allows us to continue delivering high-quality, comparative data that helps researchers, policymakers, and the public navigate the changing landscape of democracy in the Americas.”
The initiative builds on the Center for Global Democracy’s expertise in survey research while drawing on the Kellogg Institute’s long-standing strength in the study of democracy in Latin America. The AmericasBarometer will continue collecting the most comprehensive, comparative data on democratic governance in the region. The 2025/26 survey will provide vital insights into how citizens perceive and support democracy—a critical need in a time of democratic backsliding and declining trust in institutions.
“For more than two decades, the AmericasBarometer has been an essential resource for those studying democracy in the Americas,” said Aníbal Pérez-Liñán, director of the Kellogg Institute. “We are honored to collaborate with Vanderbilt on this research program at a time when public funding is suffering significant cuts.”
Housed in the College of Arts and Science, the Center for Global Democracy is one of the Discovery Vanderbilt centers established through the Office of the Provost. Building on the influential legacy of Vanderbilt’s renowned LAPOP Lab, the center advances rigorous, policy-relevant research on democracy worldwide while expanding the university’s leadership in global democracy studies.
Housed in the Keough School of Global Affairs, the Kellogg Institute brings together scholars and practitioners who study democracy, development, and human rights, with a particular focus on Latin America. For more than 40 years, Kellogg has produced research that informs policymakers, civil society, and the public about how democracies function in the region. The institute also trains students and emerging leaders, equipping them to strengthen democratic governance in Latin America and beyond.
Together, the Center for Global Democracy and the Kellogg Institute are helping to sustain the AmericasBarometer as an unparalleled resource for advancing democratic governance across the region.