Americans across the political spectrum increasingly believe democracy is in danger. Yet many still support candidates who undermine democratic norms and express hostility toward people from the other party.

This growing tolerance for undemocratic behavior—paired with deepening social distrust and political violence—is fueled by distorted perceptions, algorithmic amplification, and a lack of evidence-based tools to change hearts and minds.

While hundreds of civic groups are working to bridge divides, few interventions have been tested at scale with rigorous, comparable data.

To meet this challenge, the project crowd-sourced 252 ideas from scholars and civic practitioners across 17 countries, ultimately selecting 25 promising interventions for a megastudy. Each intervention was tested using the same randomized, controlled experimental design, allowing for direct comparison of outcomes. Treatments included video, text, games, and chatbot interactions—covering strategies like correcting misperceptions, fostering empathy, reinforcing shared identities, and amplifying democratic norms.

Every treatment was evaluated on eight measures of democratic health, including support for political violence, willingness to back undemocratic candidates, and behavioral indicators like money-sharing in real-stakes games. The study didn’t just ask what moved attitudes—it asked what stuck. Ten interventions were followed up two weeks later to assess durability.

This side-by-side structure—applied at massive scale—represents a new gold standard in testing civic interventions.

Partisan hate and institutional mistrust don’t just corrode our politics—they shape how people treat one another in everyday life. As polarization escalates, so do threats to civil discourse, election integrity, and peaceful pluralism. But this study proves something powerful: these attitudes aren’t fixed. With the right tools, we can reduce animosity, correct false assumptions, and rebuild trust—sometimes in just minutes.

By revealing which strategies meaningfully shift attitudes—and which backfire—the Strengthening Democracy Challenge offers a roadmap for everyone working to reduce division, from tech platforms and policymakers to teachers and grassroots leaders.

Early Results: 23 of 25 interventions reduced partisan animosity—some by the equivalent of 8 years of polarization growth. 6 treatments reduced support for undemocratic practices, and 5 reduced support for partisan violence. Most effective strategies: Humanizing stories and personal narratives Emphasizing shared American identity Correcting exaggerated misperceptions of the other side Pro-democracy cues from trusted political elites Durability: Several treatments sustained impact two weeks later—especially those rooted in shared identity and emotional resonance.