Peter Cummings - "When Democratic Voices Unite: Global Lessons in Coalition Building"

Peter Cummings
Research Affiliate, University of Notre Dame
Former Research & Evaluation Officer, Eurasia Foundation
Alumnus, Kellogg International Scholars Program

Broad, diverse coalitions have proven vital in advancing democracy, resisting authoritarianism, and protecting rights worldwide. Drawing on scholarly research and case studies from regions including Latin America and the Middle East, this discussion highlights both the successes and challenges of coalition formation. The conversation will draw out lessons for the United States today, pointing to concrete strategies for strengthening democratic resilience.

Peter Cummings is a political scientist with an undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, a PhD from MIT, and more than a decade of experience related to democracy, international development, and social movements. In the academic space, he has conducted original field research in Chile and Brazil and published research on political protests, democracy, and education policy. In the practitioner space, he has applied his research skills to consulting at Tironi in Chile and to domestic and international development at FHI 360 and Eurasia Foundation.

The Democracy in Dialogue Series enables Notre Dame students to engage with expert guest speakers on key issues facing global democracy. These monthly discussions aim to help students develop as global citizens and comparative scholars, explore threats to democracy, learn from international examples, consider actions to defend democracy, examine Catholic perspectives, and discuss overcoming polarization. The series also helps students build professional networks in international politics.