Challenges to Democracy (Winter term 25/26)
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 (14:15-15:45) in seminar room SCH 100.05.
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: Research Design
The second week is about research design. We will talk about what defines "good research", why comparison is important and which methods we can employ.Slides
Mindmap on good research
Week 2: Concepts
This week is all about conceptualizing democracy. We will discuss different levels of abstraction in defining democracy and talk about the tension between some democratic principles.Slides
Brainstorming (Democracy)
Week 4: 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?Slides