Our projects
Interface - Reform and Policy Proposals
In the fields of brakes and balances in Israel
This mapping study examines the ideological discourse and proposals for institutional changes in the system of checks and balances in Israel between 2004 and 2024. Against the background of the insight that the erosion of democracies in the current era is often carried out through gradual changes in government institutions led by elected leaders, and as part of the work of the Checks and Balances Laboratory at Tel Aviv University, the study aims to map the fabric of ideas and proposals for reforms that have emerged in the public and academic arena in Israel. Through a combination of traditional collection techniques and supervised artificial intelligence (AI)-based text analysis, a significant pool of policy and reform proposals was identified. Analysis of the pool reveals a lively dynamic of ideological discussions, which respond to
Political and social events, and focus primarily on the core of the governmental and constitutional structure – the Knesset, the Basic Laws, and the electoral system.
Another notable finding is the dominance of certain research bodies in shaping this discourse.
The study indicates a relatively broad consensus in the ideological arena regarding the key challenges of Israeli democracy, in particular issues of governmental stability, separation of powers, and transparency. The main contribution of this study is in creating a comprehensive and accessible information infrastructure through a dedicated website, which for the first time allows a systematic overview of the institutional "market of ideas" in Israel.
This mapping opens the door to further research, and emphasizes the importance of understanding the ideological processes that precede institutional changes, whether to strengthen or weaken democracy.
Israeli Democracy Risk Assessment Report 2025
Eyal Benvenisti and Rachel Edri - Hulta
The conceptual starting point for this document, as for the entire center, is the insight that democratic processes are always under attack by forces that seek to undermine them by studying their weaknesses and exploiting them. Defending democracy is a constant task that requires being alert to challenges and finding ways to neutralize them. Democracy is like cultivating a flowerbed that requires constant attention and the removal of pests and invaders that threaten to take over. Over the years, pests develop immunity to some of the defenses, or other pests arrive.
Therefore, cultivation requires constant updating of protective measures.
In order to assess the situation in Israel, this document seeks to present the prominent risks that challenge the basic assumptions of the democratic regime in Israel, analyze the interrelationships between them, and review possible courses of action in response to them.
Talking Democracy - Podcast
Attorney Racheli Edri Hulata, along with journalist Michael Miro, meet for a weekly conversation on the "Talking About Democracy" podcast of the Center for Applied Research on Risks to Democracy, established at Tel Aviv University. In the podcast, we will meet researchers and discuss with them the critical questions that concern us, and offer an in-depth and multidisciplinary perspective on the challenges facing democracy in Israel and the Western world.
Let's dive into the depths of things and think about the future together.
Visual interface for social and political opinion polls
The Israel National Election Studies (INES) is the longest running social and political survey series in Israel. INES, located at the School of Political Science, Government and International Relations at Tel Aviv University, includes social and political public opinion surveys in Israel from 1969 to the present, and constitutes the longest survey series in Israel. It is academic research and scientific, independent and qualitative survey data on voting patterns, public opinion, political participation in Israel and a wide range of other topics.
Collaboration with the Center for Applied Risk Research led to a visual and accessible interface for the data.
Call to Action - Democracy Outside the Box
The Center for Applied Research on Risks to Democracy at Tel Aviv University recognizes that the democratic system in Israel and around the world is under constant attack. Competing elements are exploiting the system's weaknesses to control it, and the traditional tools for protecting democracy - such as a constitution, a bill of human rights, and a legal system - no longer provide a satisfactory response, especially in light of the deep crisis of trust in state institutions.
We call on you to take part in thinking outside the box about innovative solutions that do not focus solely on the constitutional-legal structure. Our goal is to understand the roots of the crisis of trust between the various communities and the institutions of democracy, identify the challenges it faces, and develop new ways to strengthen and consolidate Israeli democracy.