Does Liberal Democracy Have A Future?

Catalog description

A generation ago, political thinkers widely agreed that liberal democracy was becoming the world's default governing system; today they ask, instead, if it was a system of government suited to the particular conditions of the twentieth century. There are very few new liberal democracies in the world, and a great many nations where liberal norms are going into eclipse: the United States above all, but also India, Turkey, Israel, Hungary, Italy. After winning a more or less fair election, the leader of each of these countries has used his or her power to undermine civil liberties and the rule of law. Majorities in each country have proved willing and eager to disempower minorities, whether ethnic or political. Most signs point to continuing democratic erosion. Our class will ask fundamental questions: What is liberal democracy? Why is it worth cherishing? What forces have led to its decline? We will explore these issues not only through careful reading but through conversations with scholars and journalists in Paris. This course will be offered in January-Term 2026. This course will be taught at NYU Paris and will count as an Away J-Term course.