Wesleyan University

Democracy250 is an initiative of Wesleyan University’s Renewing Democracy’s Promise project housed at the Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life and is designed to prepare college students to support democratic institutions. The initiative demonstrates the role universities can play in strengthening democratic infrastructure by preparing students to work alongside election administrators, civic organizations, and community partners. Through advanced training in election processes, professional conduct, and ethical public service, Democracy250 will prepare students to engage as poll workers, election observers, and civic monitors to reinforce public trust in democratic processes. 

Founded in 2010, the Wesleyan Media Project monitors and analyzes broadcast television advertisements aired in election campaigns, focusing especially on federal races with high levels of interest group funding. This grant will allow the Project to make its findings on ad spending and content available to the media and public in real-time throughout the course of the 2014 campaign, and to produce and publish a database of 2014 political advertising frequency, cost, and content data.