Democracy, Politics, and Human Rights

Democracy ideally secures popular sovereignty by placing state power in the hands of its citizens. However, this course highlights the growing reality of democratic backsliding worldwide. We examine various models of democracy—including formal, substantive, liberal, illiberal, and social—while assessing whether the United Nations' human rights-based approach can successfully restore and promote democratic practices. This course uses the Hybrid format which allows students to participate remotely and/or in the classroom. This course will be recorded. Students will have access to videos for 30 days.