The PaCE research has five main objectives:
- To trace the historical growth and political consequences for the EU project and democracy in Modern Society of illiberal, nativist, and antidemocratic populist parties;
- To study the general and the specific causes of the three modes of populism (illiberal, nativist and anti-democratic) in European democracies – distinguishing between demand and supply side, internal and external causes;
- To study, propose and test policy-oriented responses to each of the three forms of populism;
- To identify strategies for strengthening democratic values and practices, taking into account the role played by both traditional and social media and public opinion;
- To engage with stakeholders, especially groups under-represented in public affairs, particularly younger citizens, schools and local communities, in new forms of democratic engagement appropriate in our digital age.