Ramos Research Institute Introduces Fall 2026 Intern Cohorts and Research Agenda
- McKinley Coontz
- 17 hours ago
- 3 min read
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CLIFFSIDE PARK, NJ – August 17, 2026 — TThe Ramos Research Institute (RRI) is proud to announce its Fall 2026 intern cohort, a nationally diverse group of 19 undergraduate students selected from a highly competitive applicant pool. This cohort will support a robust slate of research projects examining democracy, civic engagement, media literacy and other important topics and questions facing democratic society.
The Fall 2026 cohort brings together students from leading universities across the United States, representing a wide range of academic disciplines including political science, international affairs, economics, psychology and philosophy. Interns will contribute to policy-oriented research designed to translate rigorous scholarship into practical insights for policymakers, civic organizations, and the broader public.
“I am excited to join a cohort of passionate college students who are also eager to engage in meaningful discussions about leading political ideas and issues facing our nation,” said research intern Naomi Cohen. “I am looking forward to gaining my first experience with formalized research while working alongside an experienced and dedicated mentor.”
Spring 2026 Research Projects Include:
The Informed Citizen - Civic Education and Media Literacy Research Teams: Will support the development of The Informed Citizen: Media Literacy and Civics for Education, examining how schools and universities can prepare students for informed, thoughtful, and active democratic participation. The team will explore how civic education, misinformation, artificial intelligence, algorithms, and evolving media environments shape public understanding, civic engagement, and democratic life.
Policy in Action Lab: Community Climate Action Planning: Will work with the Town of New Lebanon’s (NY) Climate Smart Communities Task Force in developing a Community Climate Action Plan addressing emissions, climate resilience, affordability, vulnerability, and equitable community action.
Algorithmic Governance and Democratic Accountability: A series of research reports examining how artificial intelligence affects government decision-making and will question transparency, accountability, due process, and democratic oversight.
Generation Z, Institutional Trust, and Democratic Engagement: A study that will examine the causes of institutional distrust among Gen Z and the conditions that encourage young people to remain engaged in democratic life despite declining confidence in public institutions.
Beyond the Ballot Box: Third Spaces as Critical Infrastructure for Democratic Resilience and Institutional Trust: An investigation into whether community spaces can strengthen institutional trust, reduce vulnerability to anti-democratic rhetoric, and encourage civic participation.
Media Propaganda: How the Media Shapes Public Perceptions of Demographic Groups: An examination of how media consumption shapes perceptions of racial and ethnic groups, immigration, public policy, and civic life, with implications for media literacy and public outreach.
The Song of American Democracy: A study exploring democracy as a lived experience through soundscapes, examining how public expression, community activity, music, protest, transportation, and everyday interactions reflect democratic values.
The War on Drugs and the Rule of Law: How an International Crusade Erodes Judicial and Civic Protections: An analysis that examines how the globalization and militarization of the war on drugs have affected constitutional protections, executive authority, judicial safeguards, and democratic accountability in the United States.
Protecting Cultural Heritage in Peacetime: A study of international legal protections for culturally significant heritage during peacetime. Will explore the relationship between cultural preservation, human rights, community identity, pluralism, and the rule of law.
The Great Realignment: Investigating the American Hispanic and Latino Vote: The final development of the The Great Realignment. This project will examine shifts in Hispanic and Latino voting behavior, political identity, public opinion, and partisan alignment across elections, regions, generations, national-origin groups, and policy priorities.
Party Nationalization and the Representation Gap in Rural America: A study that examines whether increasing party nationalization has widened the gap between rural constituents’ preferences and the behavior of their elected representatives, with implications for representation and democratic accountability.
Throughout the semester, interns will engage in structured desk research, policy synthesis, editorial workshops, and collaborative brief development. Several projects will produce publicly released policy briefs, research reports, and academic-adjacent publications.
The Fall 2026 cohort reflects RRI’s continued commitment to cultivating the next generation of policy thinkers, researchers, and civic leaders through hands-on, high-impact research experiences.
To learn more about the team and the projects RRI will be working on over the next few months, visit www.ramosresearchinstitute.org/research-associates or follow us on LinkedIn.
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About the Ramos Research Institute:
The Ramos Research Institute (RRI) is an emerging research institution dedicated to original research, polling and policy analysis focused on addressing today’s most complex societal challenges. Founded by Alejandro J. Ramos, RRI produces rigorous, relevant and accessible research across key areas including civic education and engagement, media literacy, democratic resilience and renewal, education policy and the voting behavior of minority communities. Through evidence-based inquiry and public-facing scholarship, RRI seeks to generate insights that strengthen democratic culture and inform policy and practice.
Contact:
McKinley Coontz
Public Engagement Associate
Ramos Research Institute
Cliffside Park, NJ 07010
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