Democracy in Britain? Crisis & Change in Modern Politics

Catalog description

Democracy in Britain is creaking under the strain of unprecedented challenges. From Scottish nationalism to Brexit; from Covid to economic crisis; from a welfare state in decline to populism on the rise; from anger about illegal immigration to a renewed focus on the legacy of Britain’s imperial past - the constitution, political fabric & social contract of the UK is being tested as never before. This course will look at the state of British democracy: its constitutional coherence, the changing role of its main political institutions, debates about Britain in the world after Brexit, the rise of new issues and new social movements, and the ongoing revolution in citizens’ attitudes towards politics. Through classes, guest speakers from a range of institutions & views, field visits to Parliament, think tanks and other parts of the British political establishment - and by examining both politics under Keir Starmer’s new Labour Government & developments in contemporary British culture - the course asks: How is democratic life in the UK coping under pressure? How is it changing? And what are the central debates about reform to the framework of British democracy over the next decade? This course will be offered in January-Term 2026. This course will be taught at NYU London and will count as an Away J-Term course.