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At UCI, Democracy Studies combines comparative and American political analysis to examine both long-standing and developing democratic systems. The university ranks among the top global institutions for empirical democratic theory research. Nineteen departmental faculty collaborate with approximately twenty sociologists and economists to deliver a core curriculum in democracy studies through the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD). This program focuses on five key areas: democratic transitions and stability, governance institutions, racial and ethnic dynamics, political economy and governance economics, plus social movements and group activism. The Democracy Studies program also engages faculty from other UC political science departments (including UC San Diego, UC Riverside, and UCLA) in research and academic conferences. International scholars specializing in electoral systems, constitutional frameworks, public sentiment, and collective action frequently visit UCI as guest researchers.