Democracy in America: How Can New Civic Alliances Be Built and Sustained?

Since our founding in 1947, Salzburg Global has been committed to a set of principles and values, including the critical role of democratic governance and the rule of law and the importance of a fair and just international rules-based system to preserve peace and sustain progress.

In the current political climate – including in the United States, where the space for free speech and civic discourse is contracting – Salzburg Global is working to convene diverse groups of leaders from civil society institutions, foundations, universities, the media, investors and philanthropists, lawyers, and others who are on the front lines of protecting and upholding the guardrails of democratic systems. Through its programs, Salzburg Global seeks to connect these leaders to others with similar experiences and expertise to share on the strategies, tactics, and resources required to avoid the full erosion of, and create greater resilience within, democratic institutions, systems, and norms.

The 2026 and 2027 sessions of the Salzburg Global American Studies Program will therefore form part of our Democracy Resilience Forum, a two-year initiative to strengthen the capacities of democracies to defend themselves by building durable, cross-sector alliances.  Convened by Salzburg Global at our historic facilities in Salzburg, Austria, the Forum will bring together global leaders and practitioners to develop strategies for safeguarding democratic systems amid rising authoritarian aggression and erosion from within.

Following the April session of the Democracy Resilience Forum, which looks at international examples and case studies, this session will focus specifically on the United States.  It will engage leaders at the forefront of addressing threats to democratic societies, institutions, and alliances, including established and emerging civic leaders from across parties, ideologies, and backgrounds, and will seek to propose specific strategies and tactics capable of building new civic alliances and coalitions to support democratic resilience in the United States.

The session will engage an international group of approximately 40 leaders from civil society institutions, foundations, universities, the media, investors and philanthropists, lawyers, and others who are on the front lines of protecting and upholding the guardrails of democratic systems.

The highly-participatory format will mix curated conversations with distinguished guests, knowledge exchange, practical group workshops, and informal interactions on topical issues to maximize interaction among participants. This format provides multiple opportunities for all participants to share their knowledge and expertise on equal terms.

The session is a forward-looking, forthright, and substantive dialogue, featuring divergent and non-standard views, as well as the views of established and next-generation leaders. The session will be off-the-record and held under the Chatham House Rule.