166-069 Democratic Theory and Practice

Credit Points

HECS Band

Coordinator

Prerequisites

Admission to Fourth Year Honours in Political Science.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

In this subject we will investigate what democracy can mean in both the idealisations of political theory and the real world of political practice. The subject will take its bearings from the constraints upon democracy that pervade the contemporary political economy, both domestic and international, and examine the prospects for different kinds of democracy in light of these constraints. Theories discussed will include: participatory democracy, deliberative democracy, difference democracy, ecological democracy, and transnational democracy. We will examine the prospects for these models in developed liberal democracies and in societies emerging from authoritarianism. Students should develop a thorough understanding of the range of contemporary models of democracy and have gained skills in thinking critically about what democracy can mean in theory and practice, and the range of ways in which democracy can be pursued.

Assessment

Written work totalling 5000 words.

Prescribed Texts

• S Benhabib, Democracy and Difference.
• D Held, Prospects for Democracy: North, South, East, West.
• B Barber, Strong Democracy.
• A Przeworski, Democracy and the Market.