Democracy & Elections Collection
The Democracy and Elections Subject Reader is a collection of DRG-focused interviews and interview excerpts from individuals who developed democracy, human rights, and governance programming for USAID, those who managed these programs on the regional and national levels, and discussions with diplomats who engaged with domestic stakeholders in supporting democracy governance and free and fair elections.
The reader is divided into three sections: a) links to interviews with individuals who led USAID’s central hub for Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance programs (DRG); b) excerpts from interviews organized by region and country; and c) excerpts from interviews organized by DRG theme. Its development was organized by Heather Ashe, Larry Garber, and Jeff Fischer. The interview excerpts were done by ADST interns.
USAID Democracy, human rights and governance programs
Here we provide an overview of USAID’s democracy, human rights, and governance (DRG) sector as seen through oral history interviews with the leaders of the Agency’s central hub for implementing DRG programs between 1994 and 2025.
Administration of DRG Programs & Democracy
Coming Soon
Here we look at country or region-specific topics – the stories of individuals who had responsibilities to manage the implementation of Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance (DRG) programming in a given region, country, and/or electoral context.
Democracy and Elections Diplomatic Discussions
Coming Soon
Here we provide excerpts from interviews of US diplomats and their discussions and initiatives with host countries on democratic governance and support for free and fair elections.
Further Resources & Partners
DRGHub | Empower Local Changemakers
Stories of Democracy – An Oral History Project
Center for Development History at JMU
The USAID Alumni Association, in partnership with American University Archives and Special Collections, has been building a permanent archive to safeguard the voices, experiences, and contributions of USAID professionals since 2019. This archive will serve as a vital resource for scholars, policymakers, and future generations seeking to understand the impact of U.S. foreign assistance.
UAA and American University Archives – Opportunity for USAID Alumni