US-WORLD 20 - The Theory and Practice of Republican Government

Institution:

Harvard University

Subject:

Description:

A theoretical and historical survey of the evolution of republican (representative) government, with a particular focus upon Anglo-American institutions. We will alternate between philosophical treatments and empirical studies of republican regimes. Questions include: How did republican government evolve centuries before mass elections? Did arguments for legislative supremacy prefigure the rise of parliamentary authority? If so, how? What is the role of virtue in a democratic republic? How can government ensure the "rule of the wise" without fostering autocratic power? What institutions besides elections keep the ruled attuned to the people? What critique might republican theory advance of emerging "populist" arrangements?

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.harvard.edu

Phone Number:

(617) 495-1000

Regional Accreditation:

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Calendar System:

Semester

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