In 2024 more people than ever before will vote in national elections, in countries containing nearly half the world’s population. The leaders in states across the world describe their governments as ‘democratic’ and insist that they govern by and for their people. Yet from the United States and Europe to countries of the Global South and beyond, democracies face a host of challenges – and existential threats.
This course will identify and examine these challenges, analyse their roots, and consider strategies for strengthening democracy locally and globally. Drawing on texts from a variety of disciplines – including history, political theory, empirical political science, sociology, and international relations – we will try to get a clearer picture of what’s at stake in the much-discussed ‘crisis of democracy’ today.
While we will look at specific cases from around the world, the course focuses on general analyses and broad ethical questions. Why, despite its vulnerabilities, do so many people across the globe still value democracy? Are reformed institutions enough to rescue it, or does sustainable democracy also need far-reaching changes in prevailing economic and cultural practices? Can we distinguish ‘internal’ and ‘external’ threats to democracy in a globalised world scarred by wars and the colonial past? What can governments and ordinary citizens do to work toward a fair democratic future for people everywhere?