PO 6555 - Democracy Under Threat

Barely 30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union heralded a triumph for Western Enlightenment values-a time when Francis Fukuyama proclaimed “The End of History”-democracy as a preferred political ideology and even as a workable form of government is now under attack all over the world. In Hungary, Poland, the Philippines and Turkey, to name a few of our geopolitical allies, the reins of government are held by political strongmen who rose to power through democratic means and are now unashamedly championing “illiberal democracy,” one-party rule, suppression of political rivals, and rigid top-down control of the courts, the media, social organizations and other institutions that normally ensure a balance of power between governors and the governed. Meanwhile, recent polls, even in America, show that substantial portions of the electorate no longer view democracy as essential. 

How did this happen, and what is the way forward? This course will examine competing political ideologies and trends in the 21st century with a focus on exploring why so many people have lost faith in democracy and democratic values and how authoritarian regimes have evolved to take advantage of this discontent. Credits: 4