At the end of the cold war, Francis Fukuyama called for an end of history: Liberal democracy has won the competition of the best governing system. Has it? Thirty years later, liberal democracies have come under increasing pressure. Society becomes more polarized, citizens turn away from democratic norms, and autocratic politicians undermine democratic institutions. On top of that external challenges like the climate crisis raise questions about the output legitimacy of democratic regimes. How can we make sense of ongoing patterns of democratic backsliding around the world? In this seminar, we will first learn how we can conceptualize and assess the quality of democracy. Afterwards, we will discuss different factors that contribute to democratic backsliding. Finally, we will look at potential solutions and scenarios how democracy could cope with the current challenges.  The seminar will be held as a block seminar on two days (+ an introductory session in November). Students have to prepare readings in advance. There will be in-class discussions in breakout rooms and roundtable presentations. Students who need a grade have to submit a term paper at the end of the term. At the end of the seminar, students will have acquired a substantive understanding on the different dimensions democracy can be evaluated on. As some of the academic articles we will read use methods like survey experiments and causal inferences designs, students will also be capable of understanding the logic behind (quasi-)experimental designs.

Kurs im HIS-LSF