POL 180 - FS: First-Year Seminar

FDR: SS2
Credits: 3

Fall 2021, POL 180-01: FS: First-Year Seminar: Democracy and Its Critics (3). Prerequisite: First-year class standing only. What’s so good about democracy, anyway? From Hong Kong to Washington, D.C., democratic ideals of free and fair elections, informed public discourse, civil disobedience, and representative government are being tested, pushing citizens to ask themselves what they value about democracy and why they value it. In this course, we’ll explore democratic theory from its beginnings in ancient Athens to the present, focusing on its relevance to the lived experience of 21st century citizens. In addition to reading classic works by Rousseau and Tocqueville, as well as more recent writings from thinkers like Hannah Arendt and David Foster Wallace, this course will incorporate various criticisms of democratic governance on the basis of both principle and practice, challenging students to consider whether democracy really is the best form of government, or if “true” democracy can ever be achieved. (SS2) C. Miller.