Founded in 2023, the Healthy, Equitable, and Responsive Democracy (HEARD) Initiative makes connections among researchers working on issues broadly related to democratic inclusion and responsiveness in the United States (read more about our mission). We organize an undergraduate fellowship where students work on projects led or mentored by our faculty affiliates. We also host events on Swarthmore’s campus and beyond to provide space for faculty to share works in progress for a multidisciplinary audience, and to facilitate conversations about U.S. democracy for faculty, staff, and students. Our research groups also produce reports and papers for academic and public audiences. We facilitate the People-ing Politics research network and conference.