POLT 371 - Power and American Democracy

FC SSCI

4 credits
This course examines the different ways in which political power hinders and advances the struggle for democracy in America. We begin by exploring persistent patterns of inequality that impede the realization of democratic ideals in contemporary U.S. society. We then unpack how, in practice, different forms of political power can work to reinforce or challenge these patterns. First, we discuss what many scholars call the three “faces” of power -, namely, coercion, agenda-setting, and manipulation - and efforts to rebel against those “faces.” Second, we explore what some scholars call power “without a face,” such as discipline and disruption.

Undergraduate Research Intensive