American Democracy & Technology Fellowship
The McCain Institute seeks a cohort of one-year American Democracy & Technology Fellows who are based in the U.S. to advance thought leadership and policy advocacy via a specific project to engage policymakers, national security leaders, analysts, technologists, and others in advancing and translating big ideas to transform democracy and technology in America. A major part of this effort will be interacting with lawmakers and directly driving policy in support of the McCain Institute’s mission and the fellows’ project objectives.
Over 12 months, each fellow will propose and execute a specific project to identify and apply emerging research and technological innovations to promote democracy and protect rights in the face of technological challenges, AI, challenges to information integrity, and efforts to undermine American democratic norms and institutions, all threats to American national security.
The fellows’ projects are designed to achieve one or more of the following objectives:
- Expanded research and policy recommendations on how technology, particularly AI, can improve American democracy.
- Deepened engagement with stakeholders to promote policies that support U.S. democracy and national security and protect human rights in the digital age.
- Enhanced public awareness and understanding of the risks and opportunities presented by technology in our democracy, including those brought by manipulated information.
- More resilient and more effective democratic institutions and election infrastructure in support of a democracy for and by the people.
The fellows will work with the McCain Institute’s American Democracy team to advance projects in the service of ASU’s charter as well as the McCain Institute’s mission to foster democracy, human rights, and character-driven leadership.
This fellowship is sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
American Democracy & Technology Fellows
Program Highlights
Think No More – Hallie J. Stern
In January 2026, the McCain Institute at Arizona State University convened Think No More, a two-day immersive workshop examining how artificial intelligence reshapes judgment, accountability, and institutional decision-making across national security and democratic systems. The workshop was the culmination of our 2025 inaugural fellow Hallie J. Stern’s work as part of the American Democracy and Technology Policy Translation Fellowship.
Focused on translating advanced research on AI and democratic governance into applied policy frameworks for practitioners operating in high-stakes environments, the event brought together experts from government, industry, research, and the arts to examine how AI systems influence human cognition, institutional incentives, and operational outcomes. The program emphasized experiential learning through an immersive national defense simulation, placing participants in the role of training a next-generation AI system responsible for U.S. defense decision-making. Additionally, the program included a tabletop exercise examining AI-mediated information failure during a simulated
Insights and materials generated during Think No More will serve as the analytic foundation for a forthcoming policy white paper developed through the McCain Institute.
Summary of Program
Over 12 months, each fellow will propose and execute a specific project to identify and apply emerging research and technological innovations to promote democracy and protect rights in the face of technological challenges, AI, challenges to information integrity, and efforts to undermine American democratic norms and institutions, all threats to American national security. Fellows will be awarded grants of $10,000-20,000 in support of these efforts depending on the number of grants awarded.
To be considered for this fellowship, interested U.S.-based candidates should prepare a specific proposal of no more than two pages for a 12-month project, designed to achieve one or ideally more of these objectives:
- Expanded research and policy recommendations on how technology, particularly AI, can improve American democracy.
- Deepened engagement with stakeholders to promote policies that support U.S. democracy and national security and protect human rights in the digital age.
- Enhanced public awareness and understanding of the risks and opportunities presented by technology in our democracy, including those brought by manipulated information.
- More resilient and more effective democratic institutions and election infrastructure in support of a democracy for and by the people.
The fellows will work with the McCain Institute’s American Democracy team to advance projects in the service of ASU’s charter as well as the McCain Institute’s mission to foster democracy, human rights, and character-driven leadership.
This fellowship is sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.