It maps the dominant narratives that shape how people understand democracy, explains how messaging interacts with deeper mental models, and identifies strategies that can help rebuild support, engagement, and participation.

By Ryan Gem, Rushikesh Jadhav, Maria Milosh, Aby Dwi Prasetya, Mareike Schomerus and Gideon Too

This Research Brief is part of a three-part series of research produced for the Democracy Narratives Alliance (DNA) as an initial step toward coordination and consolidation of narrative change efforts. The series consists of:

1. Systematic Literature Review: Democracy Narratives: What Are They and How Do They Matter for Democratic Engagement and Behavior? (2026)
2. Research Brief: How to Talk about Democracy: What We Know (and Don’t Know) (2026)
3. Behavioral Change Brief: From Narrative to Action: Fostering Democratic Engagement and Engaged Citizens through Behavior Change (2026)

There is a growing consensus that narratives are key to promoting, protecting, and preserving democracy in a time of rising authoritarianism. Dozens of organizations, researchers, funders, and strategists have already invested significant time and resources to identify salient narratives that can encourage or discourage support for democracy as a system and practice. Yet, these efforts remain siloed without a clear strategy for coordination, consolidation, or knowledge sharing for the broader field. The Democracy Narratives Alliance (DNA) is an initial step toward coordination and consolidation of narrative change efforts in the democracy field.

The aim of this brief is to help translate that knowledge and experience into action. It maps the dominant narratives that shape how people understand democracy, explains how messaging interacts with deeper mental models, and identifies strategies that can help rebuild support, engagement, and participation. The core argument is optimistic but clear-eyed: coordinated, strategic narrative work among democracy’s defenders is not an afterthought, it is an imperative; a necessary condition for rebuilding belief in democracy and motivating people to participate in it through the daily practices necessary to sustain it.