Institutions of Democracy

Thousands of immigrants from across the globe will be sworn in as American citizens, while students nationwide will take part in the “Preamble Challenge” to celebrate Constitution Day (Sept. 17).

CNN's "State of the Union" and FactCheck.org, the nonpartisan fact-checking site, have announced a new partnership to create a weekly online video series looking at claims made in the 2016 presidential campaign. "State of the Union" anchor Jake Tapper will host the series.

In time for Constitution Day, Annenberg Classroom has released three videos dealing with constitutional protections and the rule of law, including habeas corpus in the Guantanamo Bay detention cases. Also back this fall is a popular online course about the Constitution from scholar Kermit Roosevelt.

A study by Annenberg Public Policy Center researchers finding that "The Colbert Report" educated viewers about campaign finance better than other media has been awarded 2014 Article of the Year by the journal Mass Communication and Society.

A new bipartisan Annenberg Public Policy Center report that proposes a serious overhaul of the 2016 general-election presidential debates to improve their quality, reach and relevance in the age of social media and an increasingly diverse electorate has drawn widespread media coverage.

With a flurry of candidates entering the 2016 presidential race, FactCheck.org and its science feature, SciCheck, are examining the campaigners' recent statements and revisiting past claims. Recent posts examine claims by Scott Walker, Donald Trump, and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

The Annenberg Working Group on Presidential Campaign Debate Reform ­– a bipartisan group of top officials from past presidential campaigns – released its recommendations to help democratize the presidential general election debate process ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

Explore ways to increase the value and viewership of presidential general election debates while taking into account how the electoral environment has changed over time.

Political reporter Brandon Rittiman of KUSA, 9News Denver, was awarded the 2015 Cronkite/Jackson Prize for Fact Checking for his work producing what the jury called "the best fact checking segments on local TV."

The Rendell Center for Civics and Civic Engagement celebrated its relocation to the Annenberg Public Policy Center on May 4, in events that showcased their joint interest in civic education and judicial independence. The Rendell Center also sponsored a youth mayoral forum where 4th and 5th graders could question Philadelphia's mayoral candidates.