About Business Network
Soon after Reagan’s prescient words, the International Republican Institute (IRI) was founded as one of the core institutes of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), with a mission to advance democracy worldwide.
Since our founding in 1983, in over 100 countries, IRI has been working to strengthen civil society, political parties, marginalized communities, and other key areas essential to democratic governance. We encourage democracy in places where it is absent, help democracy become more effective where it is in danger and share best practices where democracy is flourishing.
IRI’s work continues to have a tremendous impact. Our staff and local partners help legislators enhance transparency, connect policymakers with their constituencies, empower individuals who have previously felt left out of the political process, and we have observed over 200 elections.