Nov 22, 2024
OHIO University Undergraduate Catalog 2024-25
POLS 4495 - The Challenges of Democratization
Focuses on the process of democratization in historical and comparative perspective. Topics include historical and contemporary debates over the definition of democracy and the ethics of democratic and authoritarian government; how to qualitatively and quantitatively “measure” democracy; the major theories of democratization, democratic transition, and consolidation; trends in authoritarian efforts to limit or prevent democratization; the theory and practice of institutional design in new democracies; case studies of successful and failed democratization.
Requisites: Jr or Sr or Permission Required
Credit Hours: 3
OHIO BRICKS: Bridge: Ethics and Reasoning
Repeat/Retake Information: May be retaken two times excluding withdrawals, but only last course taken counts.
Lecture/Lab Hours: 3.0 lecture
Grades: Eligible Grades: A-F,WP,WF,WN,FN,AU,I
Learning Outcomes:
- Students will be able to define key terms and concepts relating to democracy and the process of democratization.
- Students will be able to compare and contrast different types of definitions of democracy, and assess the significance (conceptually, methodologically, and ethically) of “defining” democracy in particular ways.
- Students will be able to apply competing ethical perspectives on the value of democratic self-government to evaluate and assess the quality of democratic institutions.
- Students will be able to evaluate competing historical and contingent explanations for the rise and decay of authoritarian regimes and the emergence of democracy.
- Students will be able to identify and evaluate the various kinds of institutional arrangements available to democracies, and their strengths and weaknesses with respect to different kinds of societies.
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