POLS 223 Dilemmas of Democracy

Has the "Third Wave" of democratization ended? Will democracy continue to be the model for the future? This course will look at the dramatic increase in the number of democracies worldwide over the last thirty years and at case studies that illustrate the political and economic factors behind the increasing number of "illiberal" "populist" and semi-authoritarian democracies; the impact of gridlock and corruption in contemporary democratic systems including the United States; and the challenges democracies are facing in integrating formerly marginalized populations including women poor and the indigenous. It will examine the US policy of "democracy promotion" and the implications of these trends for the United States in a globalized world.