2nd 8 weeks.
This class will introduce you to the main tenets of democratic theory
and the practical challenges involved in forming and maintaining a
democratic state.  We will begin by exploring classic and modern
democratic theories, both broadly delimited (for example, elite vs.
participatory democracy) and narrowly so (deliberative, difference,
and direct democracy).  Following this, we will focus on the social
preconditions for a democratic society; representation of both in-
groups and out-groups; and the challenges faced by newly founded
democracies.  Finally, we will end by exploring the challenges all
democracies face in securing legitimacy in an increasingly
bureaucratic state and global community.  At the end of this course,
you will not only know how democracies should function, but how they
do function, and what we can do to help them meet the challenges of a
new political age.