The Ohio State Institute for Democratic Engagement and Accountability (IDEA) aims to further the mission of a great land grant university. We seek to mobilize the resources of the academy to serve the public good in our local, state, national, and international communities. We focus on three related areas: generating and disseminating knowledge about American political institutions, with a special emphasis on elections; studying and fostering high quality political dialogue and deliberation; and furthering the university’s mission announced in its motto: "education for citizenship."
Educating students for citizenship involves fostering their interest in and engagement with self-government, as well as developing the deliberative and participatory skills to do so constructively. To this end, the Institute holds regular events actively involving Ohio State students in opportunities to directly engage with politics and policy. These include our "Shop Class for Democracy" initiative, as well as bringing lawmakers, civic practitioners, and relevant scholars to campus to engage with students.