Research and Resources
Since 2022, Metropolitan Group (MG) has been examining narratives that advance the principles of liberal democracy and those that seek to undermine it or to explicitly promote authoritarianism. We have conducted a global scan and 12 in-depth country scans (including in the United States in 2024) on five continents to map the existing narrative landscape and to identify the most dominant and salient pro-democracy and pro-authoritarian narratives. With our local partners, we have developed, tested, and refined effective evidence-based pro-democracy narratives.
U.S. Democracy Research and Resources
We have conducted research to identify, map, and deconstruct dominant and salient narratives that advance the principles of liberal democracy, and narratives that seek to undermine it or to explicitly promote authoritarianism. That work has included research to examine the core values reflected in this range of narratives and to identify those values that are more widely associated with—and authentic to—pro-democracy narratives. It also included development and testing of narratives to increase understanding of, support for, and engagement in democracy.
To access the U.S. research findings, tested narrative and messaging, check out the following resources:
Global Democracy Research and Resources
Democracy around the world is under attack. Data and evidence collected globally make clear that authoritarian governments and their allies are dominating the information ecosystem. From April 2022–January 2025, Metropolitan Group and our in-country research partners collected a combination of quantitative and qualitative data through a global research scan and in-depth case studies in Ecuador, El Salvador, Indonesia, Kenya, the Kyrgyz Republic, Libya, Nigeria, Peru, the Philippines, Serbia, and Uganda. Our work also included development and testing of narratives to increase understanding and support for democracy, social and behavior change analysis of effective methods to deploy these narratives, and pilot field testing of narrative application.
To access the global research findings, tested narrative and messaging, check out the following resources:
Other Resources
Additional research tips and tools from Core Partners, Dissemination Partners, and other collaborators.
- Narrative: A Powerful Lever for Social Change. Over the last two years, Metropolitan Group (MG) has conducted literature scans and key informant interviews, participated in global and national convenings, and hosted a narrative practitioners’ summit. Based upon these inputs and field application of narratives, we offer this updated Narrative for Social Change model.
- Summary: Narrative Model. Read this one-pager that summarizes MG’s Narrative and Social Change model.
- Resumen: Modelo de narrativa. Lea esta página que resume el modelo de narrativa y cambio social de MG.
- Meeting the Moment: Advancing Your Mission in the Face of Rising Authoritarianism. Addressing rising authoritarianism and its well-orchestrated assault on democracy, this document by MG distills lessons from global and domestic social movements into 10 Grounding and Guiding Principles for organizations to counter threats, advance their vision, and remain effective while rooted in their values.
- Civic Language Perceptions Project. PACE’s Civic Language Perceptions Project seeks to understand people’s perceptions of the language associated with civic engagement and democracy work. The words Americans use to describe our civic values, ideals, and practices are also the words we use to connect, share, and co-create our community and national future.
- Digital Democracy Library. The Global Democracy Coalition’s Digital Democracy Library contains more than 3000 open source material, data, multimedia, training and knowledge resources on democracy building produced by the 150+ partner organizations in the Global Democracy Coalition.