Call for Applications: Laboratories of Democracy Initiative 2023-2025
Aspen Germany’s “Laboratories of Democracy” initiative is entering its fourth round. After initially focusing on bringing together state legislators from the United States and Germany, the project is now being expanded to include state legislators from Canada.
The program consists of two off-the-record gatherings per year – one in Germany and one in the United States/Canada. At these meetings, participants identify important policy topics at the sub-national level, explore ideas of values based-leadership, exchange best-practices, discuss potential cooperation, and address broader issues in the transatlantic relationship. Each exchange also addresses a core issue relevant to society on both sides of the Atlantic: critical infrastructure in 2024 and social cohesion, inclusion, and social justice in 2025. Ultimately, the exchanges promote peer learning and help build Euro-Atlantic networks beyond the capitals.
You can find more information about the participation requirements and the application procedure here.
The project is supported by the Transatlantic Program of the Federal Republic of Germany, funded by the European Recovery Program (ERP) of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).
Digitalization, the climate crisis, and structural change are among the great challenges of our time and should play a central role in transatlantic cooperation. U.S. states and German Bundesländer often take a pioneering role in tackling these challenges. The Laboratories of Democracy Initiative draws on that notion, bringing together German and U.S. state legislators for an in-depth exchange on these issues.
Third Round of Exchanges 2023
16 German and U.S. state legislators engaged in discussions on structural change and the revitalization of post-industrial areas during the third Laboratories of Democracy cohort’s study trips to Dusseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Harrisburg, PA, and virtual sessions.
Second Round of Exchanges 2022
14 German and U.S. state legislators engaged in discussions on climate and energy during the second Laboratories of Democracy cohort’s study trips to Schwerin, Mecklenburg Western Pomerania, Princeton, NJ, and virtual sessions.
First Round of Exchanges 2020-2021
14 German and U.S. state legislators discussed 2020/21 about the topic of digitalization. The participants of the first Laboratories of Democracy year met for a study trip in Stuttgart, Germany and virtually.
