Challenges to Democracy (Winter term 24/25)
Content
The seminar seeks to analyse the current challenges democratic regimes face. It is structured along three blocks. In the first block, we will learn about the essential features of a democracy and discover what shapes the quality of democracy. In a second block, we will engage with different empirical analyses of the current state of democratization and democratic systems. We will zero in on how institutions are sidelined; how actors, such as far-right parties, challenge democracies; and how democracy is threatened by crises. In the third block, we will look at potential solutions and scenarios of how democracy could cope with the current challenges.
You can download the most recent version of the syllabus here.The seminar takes place weekly, on Wednesday (12:15-13:45) in seminar room SCH 100.107.
Material
Week 1: Introduction
In this session, we will get to know each other and discuss some logistics about the seminar. Moreover, a brief introduction into the topic is given.Slides
Week 2: Concepts
The second week is all about concepts on democracy. We will discuss different levels of abstraction in defining democracy and talk about the tension between some democratic principles.Slides
Week 3: Democracy - A Winning Formula?
We will discuss Fukuyama's influential work on "The End of History" and compare it with recent developments around the globe. What's the state of democracy nowadays? Moreover, the session will introduce students to different sources measuring the quality of democracy, which they can apply for their own projects.Slides
Week 4: Field phase
There is no session in this week. Instead, you will work on the podcast project.Week 5: Challenges and Facilitators of Democratization (Part 1)
In this week, we will discuss potential causes of democratization. Moreover, we will engage with empirical articles that focus on facilitators and challenges of democratization.Slides
Week 6: Challenges and Facilitators of Democratization (Part 2)
This is a continuation of last week. First, you present your podcast project before we discuss how state repression triggers backlash among citizens.Slides