For the first time since the onset of WWII, the fundamental tenants of democracy are being challenged across the globe. This critical moment has motivated the College of Arts and Sciences’ Themester 2020 focus on Democracy.
The College Themester takes an interdisciplinary approach to global debates. Global optimism over democratic transitions has given way to contestation over minority rights, democratic backsliding, and the rise of populism. These trajectories raise concerns about the potential for an intractable democratic crisis that will affect both younger democracies and established systems.
The Political Science department is featuring several classes encouraging students to think very critically about democracy, with courses like The Politics of Saving the World, Mathematics and Politics: Conundrums of Representative Democracies, Capitalism and Democracy, Trump and Election 2020, Political Parties and Interest Groups, and Challenges to Democracy.
The College of Arts