The collection of short essays and writing projects that are to be linked to the paragraphs below will be by students, teachers or any independent author. They are offered to others for use as a starting point--for writing papers or for understanding the links between one's personal life and the political process.

This page, currently under development, will introduce and hyperlink to essays written on aspects of modern democracy. Some, but not all, will address issues that have been identified by CED researchers as core problem areas.

Brief essays written for classroom work, as commentary for presentation in local media, or for distribution over the Internet can be more than a personal learning experience for the author: they can also be a genuine contribution to change in the political decision-making process.

Though the essay examples refer primarily to politics in the U.S., they provide prototypes and information that can be used when writing about the struggle for democracy in any country.