Political Science 416 - Seminar:Democratic Transitions and Consolidation

Institution:

Colgate University

Subject:

Description:

M. Johnston What are the chances that the new democracies established around the world in the past quarter century will survive Most have had relatively free and honest elections; some have even had peaceful transfers of power later on; most are somewhere in the process of changing to market economies. But in many places, the quality of life has deteriorated in important respects, and democratization is stalemated by economic crises, ethnic and religious conflicts, low levels of political participation, crime, and other problems. This seminar explores democratic transitions - the removal of repressive regimes and the establishment of new democratic institutions - and democrati c consolidation - the process of "deepening" democracy and making it sustainable. Major topics include the role of civil society, relationships between wealth and power, ethnic conflicts and national identity, political participation and accountability, building democratic cultures, and models of democracy appropriate for different societies. Each student specializes in a particular country but also analyzes more general issues. Students make extensive use of online resources for research, sharing information and discussion materials, and perhaps conferring with other scholars off campus. Prerequisite: POSC 1

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.colgate.edu

Phone Number:

(315) 228-1000

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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