This year has been a defining journey for the Institute for Democratic Engagement & Accountability (IDEA). As we head into the holiday season, we wanted to step away from the research and data to send a truly personal message to you—our community.

2025 has been a year of powerful growth and proof. We’ve watched our mission scale from local campus dialogues to the floor of Congress, where our Director, Michael Neblo, recently testified that Americans don't want more "communication"—they want a real conversation. We’ve seen our Summer Democracy Fellows prepare to take these skills to D.C., and we’ve used cutting-edge AI research to prove what we’ve always suspected: that despite the noise, the vast majority of people fundamentally reject violence and crave a better way to engage.

Beyond these milestones, our work continues to grow every day. We are currently deep into several ongoing projects that are shaping the future of how we live together, such as our second round of Deliberative Town Halls (DTHs) in Nigeria and our new Malawi Pilot, where we are taking our models global to help local communities drive their own development. These are just the ones at the top of our minds right now—there is so much more happening behind the scenes, from our research on "voice insecurity" to our work exploring Citizens’ Assemblies.

But the heart of IDEA isn’t just our projects; it’s the people. It’s the students who challenge us, the researchers who push the boundaries of what’s possible, and the citizens who show up to our town halls ready to listen.

To our audience: Thank you for being the most vital part of this mission. Whether you’ve been with us for years or just joined our journey this season, your belief that democracy can be better is what keeps us moving forward. You are the reason we do this work, and your engagement is the real "innovation" in democratic innovation.

As we look toward 2026, we are more motivated than ever to transform political frustration into meaningful change. We hope you stay with us for the chapters to come.

From all of us at IDEA, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May your holidays be filled with the same spirit of connection and hope that you bring to our work every day.

Warmly,

The IDEA Team