The 2020 election cycle was one of the most contested in U.S. history. Our democratic form of government is being put to the test by a toxic mixture of misinformation, voter suppression, dark money, and allegations of systemic fraud. This course offers a chance for us to reflect on just what that form of government is, how it has performed over time, and how it is holding up against the challenges we face as a country, and as a species.

Behind the swirl of events lie fundamental questions: What is the nature and worth of the democratic principle of rule? What role has democracy played in political history?

From the Ancient Greek world of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, to the tumultuous time of the creation of the United States, to today’s complex large scale WEIRD (western, educated, industrialized, rich, democratic) societies, democracy has been described both as a shining ideal and a dangerous reality. In our discussions, we will explore what democracies offer at their best, and how and why democracies fail.

In the end we will consider the question: To what extent, if any, should we be prepared to protect and promote essential elements of the democratic form of governance, now and in the future?