Posted May 22, 2025

A Message from the Director

With graduation festivities now behind us, it’s a moment both to celebrate our students’ achievements and to prepare for the important work ahead. As only the Eagleton Institute of Politics can, our team of faculty and staff have carried forward our mission forged nearly 70 years ago to link the study of politics with the practice. Through classroom instruction and experiential learning, our students have been equipped with the political understanding, civic skillset, and motivation to be active participants and leaders in the democratic process. Rooted in our research, Eagleton’s teaching and public service builds the capacity of our citizenry.   

Indeed, Eagleton’s mission is not focused upon politics for politics sake – we’re focused on securing and advancing democracy’s norms and institutions. The Institute aims to foster an understanding of and a dedication to the U.S. Constitution and the system of government that stems from it, inspire a commitment to the dissemination of accurate information and the productive exchange of ideas that is essential in a system of self-government, and ensure that institutions and practices of democracy are accessible and respected. 

The mission of the Eagleton Institute of Politics is more important than ever. With the launch of the Rutgers Democracy Lab (RDL) at the Institute, the reach and impact of our work is expanding – transforming civic learning and democratic engagement across Rutgers University. With the inaugural theme Inspiring Democratic Engagement, the RDL will catalyze a university-wide laboratory to experiment with solutions to democracy’s most complex and pressing problems. From highly immersive civic learning experiences such as our “Think and Do Tank” to the Rutgers Democracy Lab Student Fellows Program  to the Rutgers Democracy Lab Faculty and Staff Associates Program, the RDL promises to move us closer to the “more perfect union” assured in the Preamble to the Constitution.     

As John Dewey wrote in 1916, “democracy needs to be born anew every generation, and education is the midwife.”  As we advance the important work of inspiring civic engagement and renewing democracy, these words are more resonant than ever. Thank you for your support.