IFCO 5090 - Democracy in the Age of Populism — Fabrique des Maquettes Pédagogiques

Informations

Descriptif

Over the past years, so-called “populists” have fundamentally transformed the politics of many democracies, from France to the United States, from Hungary to Argentina, and from Brazil to India. Their remarkable success, combined with their hostility to many longstanding political norms and institutions, have raised serious concerns about the future of the democratic political system. Do populists pose a serious threat to democracy—and, if so, what can be done to stop them? This course examines the nature and causes of populism, drawing on political science, sociology, and economics. Topics include the role of social media, economic grievances, status politics, and the politics of identity. The final sessions consider policy solutions and the outlook for democratic governance.

Pré-requis

It is a fundamental course.

No prior knowledge of the themes of the course is required.

Students should be prepared to engage carefully with all assigned readings before each session.

Format pédagogique

This is a lecture course. But there will be significant occasion for students to ask questions and to share their views as part of the lectures.

Mode de validation

There are two main means of assessment for this course:

A mid-term paper assessing the current state of democracy (individual). 30% of the final grade.
An in-person, on-site, three-hour final exam which requires students to demonstrate their understanding of the themes covered in the readings and lectures for this course. 70% of the final grade.

Lectures

Lectures principales 5

Appiah (Kwame Anthony), The Lies That Bind: Rethinking Identity, New York, Liveright, 2018. (selection).
Gurri (Martin), The Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium, San Francisco, Stripe Press, 2018 (selection).
Haidt (Jonathan), The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, New York, Vintage Books, 2012 (selection).
Hochschild (Arlie Russell), Strangers in Their Own Land, New York, The New Press, 2016 (selection).
Levitsky (Steven) and Ziblatt (Daniel), How Democracies Die, New York, Crown, 2018 (selection).

Lectures secondaires 4

Lind (Michael), The New Class War, New York, Portfolio/Penguin, 2020.
Mounk (Yascha), The People vs. Democracy, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press, 2018.
Müller (Jan-Werner), What Is Populism?, Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2016.
Obama (Barack), “A More Perfect Union,” speech, Philadelphia, 2008.

Unités pédagogiques

N° d'UP	Type d'UP	Unités pédagogiques	Enseignants	Nombre d'heures	Crédits
18051	Cours magistral	Democracy in the Age of Populism	Yascha MOUNK, Woosuk YANG	24	4
18774	—	TA Democracy in the Age of Pop	—	16	—
20918	Teaching assistant	TA Democracy in the Age	Woosuk YANG	16	—

IFCO 5090 - Democracy in the Age of Populism