Frequently Asked Question

The Security and Democracy Forum is an independent, nonpartisan nonprofit committed to advancing peace, principled security, and democratic resilience. We produce research, opinion pieces, and host dialogues on how national security policies affect—and are shaped by—democratic values.

We launched SDF in response to a growing need for independent, values-driven voices in national security. At a time when traditional think tanks are under pressure and public trust in institutions is eroding, we aim to rethink the role of policy research by making it more open, crowd-sourced, and democracy-centered.

SDF is built for the practitioner—not just the academic. We prioritize actionable, accessible analysis designed for policy professionals, military officers, civic leaders, and engaged citizens. We center liberty and democratic accountability in all our work, and we welcome outside contributors to shape the conversation.

We publish and convene around the full spectrum of national power, often referred to as DIMEFIL: Diplomacy, Information, Military, Economic, Financial, Intelligence, and Law Enforcement. We focus especially on areas where security intersects with liberty, governance, and democratic trust.

Anyone aligned with our mission and editorial standards. We welcome op-eds, longform analysis, and thought pieces from academics, practitioners, veterans, students, and policy professionals. See our Call for Submissions page for details.

You can:

• Subscribe to our newsletter

• Submit a piece for publication

• Apply to become a Fellow or Advisor

• Share our work on social media

• Contact us about partnerships or collaboration

We are in the process of formalizing our nonprofit status. In the meantime, we operate transparently and with full accountability to our mission. Donations, when enabled, will be used to support research, fellowships, and public engagement.

Visit our Opinions page for the latest op-eds, and analysis. We also attempt to publish longer form Reports about once a month. We update regularly with new perspectives from both in-house contributors and guest writers.