POLT 273 - Is the U.S. a Democracy?

FC SSCI WINT

4 credits
What does it mean for a country to be a democracy? Is democracy compatible with entrenched racial and economic inequality, widespread voter suppression, and arcane counter-majoritarian institutions? How would we know if democracy ceased to exist? These are some of the questions we will explore in the context of the United States, a country where two of the last three presidents were elected despite losing the popular vote. To arrive at answers, we will consult theoretical writings on democracy; historical, social scientific, and journalistic accounts of American politics; and comparative studies of de-democratization and “electoral authoritarianism.”