Democracy is undergoing an "alarming" decline across the world as a growing number of countries move towards authoritarian rule, according to Freedom House. In the U.S., there is much controversy relating to our degree of democracy and trends.
This course will help us to understand how and why democracies evolve and potentially fail, the tools of authoritarianism, and ways to build (or re-build) a stable democracy.
The course will consist of 2 sessions that include discussions with two national experts:
• Session 1: The Surge in Populism and Implications for Democracy/Autocracy. Pauline Jones, Professor at UM & Director UM International Institute
• Session 2: Building & Re-Building Stable Democracies (or How to Survive Autocracy). Sheri Berman, Professor at Barnard College
Session 1 meets on Tuesday Oct. 8. Session 2 TBD. Preregistration is required via the OLLI website or phone. A link to access this Study Group will be e-mailed to you approximately 1 week prior to first session.