The Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation is an inclusive and interdisciplinary research centre at the University of Birmingham.

The centre exists to bring together researchers, policy makers, civil society groups and activists across borders in a common quest to understand the factors that promote and undermine accountable and representative government around the world.

We understand and study democracy in the broadest sense, including the authoritarian practices that pervade many “democratic” states, and the public participation checks and balances that exist in some “authoritarian” states. CEDAR holds events, fosters transnational research programmes, and communicates key information and ideas beyond traditional academic boundaries. Our team is united by an interest in the distribution of power within countries and between countries, and a commitment to working in true partnership to produce data and analysis that illuminates the biggest political challenges facing our societies today.