---
title: Israel Democracy Institute (IDI)
type: research
status: active
country: IL
website: https://en.idi.org.il
logo: /assets/org-logos/israel-democracy-institute.png
contact:
  checked: 2026-08-01
  email: info@idi.org.il
  form: https://en.idi.org.il/about/contact/
  phone: 972-2-530-0888
  source: https://en.idi.org.il/about/contact/
summary: Israel's leading nonpartisan democracy research institute — publishing annual
  Israeli Democracy Index, researching electoral reform, parliamentary oversight,
  judicial independence, civil service reform, and anti-corruption mechanisms since
  1991.
concepts:
- democracy
- constitutional-democracy
- mixed-member-proportional-representation
location:
  latitude: 31.7683
  longitude: 35.2137
  name: Jerusalem, Israel
events:
- date: '1991-01-01'
  title: Founded as an independent research centre dedicated to strengthening Israeli
    democracy
  url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Democracy_Institute
  quote: was founded in 1991 as a "center of research and action dedicated to strengthening
    the foundations of Israeli democracy."
  proof_level: high
  url_checked: '2026-08-10'
  notable: true
- date: '2003-01-01'
  title: Published the first Israeli Democracy Index — an annual survey tracking democratic
    attitudes in Israel
  url: https://en.idi.org.il/articles/47344
  quote: The Democracy Index, IDI’s annual flagship publication celebrating its twentieth
    anniversary
  note: A 2022 IDI article marking the Index's 20th anniversary, placing its first
    edition in 2003 — corrected from a previously misdated 1995 entry that had been
    citing unrelated Wikipedia text about the Institute (not the Index).
  proof_level: high
  url_checked: '2026-08-10'
  notable: true
activity:
  manual:
    checked: 2026-06-07
    date: 2026-06-03
    note: Website loaded. News in mainpage. https://en.idi.org.il/hurvitz/2026/ June
      2-3, 2026 which points to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkYhEo0j54w ' The
      Israel Democracy Institute's annual Eli Hurvitz Conference on Economy and Society
      2026 | Recap '
    url: https://en.idi.org.il/hurvitz/2026/
  dod:
    checked: 2026-07-16
    date: 2026-07-15
    note: 'Website loaded directly; recent publications dated July 2026 including
      ''Explainer: Basic Law: Torah Study and Its Implications'' (July 15, 2026)'
    url: https://en.idi.org.il
  sitemap:
    date: 2026-08-17
    note: Page last modified (from sitemap)
    url: https://en.idi.org.il/sitemap.xml
    checked: 2026-08-17
last_checked: '2026-07-16'
---

The Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) is an independent, nonpartisan research and policy institute founded in 1991. It is the primary academic body studying Israeli democratic governance, producing rigorous empirical research on institutional design, electoral systems, rule of law, and civic participation.

IDI publishes an annual **Israeli Democracy Index** tracking public trust in democratic institutions, satisfaction with governance, and support for democratic norms — one of the longest-running longitudinal studies of democratic attitudes in any country. Its policy programs cover electoral reform (including semi-open ballot systems and proportionality), parliamentary oversight of the executive, civil service independence, judicial-executive relations, and anti-corruption mechanisms.

IDI engaged directly with the 2023 judicial reform crisis in Israel — a legislative push that would have significantly curtailed Supreme Court oversight of government action. IDI's researchers provided analysis, testified before the Knesset, and published position papers on the constitutional implications, operating as an independent expert voice in a politically polarised debate.

## Work areas

- **Israeli Democracy Index** — annual survey tracking democratic attitudes and institutional trust
- **Electoral reform** — research on voting system design, ballot structure, representation
- **Parliamentary governance** — oversight mechanisms, Knesset accountability structures
- **Judicial independence** — constitutional balance between branches
- **Civil service and anti-corruption** — public sector accountability design

## Links

- Website: [en.idi.org.il](https://en.idi.org.il)

## See also

- [Movement for Quality Government](mqg.md)
- [Darkenu](darkenu.md)