Theory of Democracy
Code
711071046
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
Estudos Políticos
Credits
6
Teacher in charge
Tiago Roma Fernandes
Weekly hours
4
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
a) To study theories of democracy from Plato to Robert Dahl, combining historical-institutional analysis with philosophical approaches.
b) To study issues confronting contemporary democracies, namely quality and type of democracies.
Prerequisites
None.
Subject matter
1.What is Democracy? The classics, the moderns and the contemporary
2.Origins of Democracy: social classes and socioeconomic requisites
3.Origins of Democracy: institucional legacies and transition modes
4.Origins of Democracy: elites and masses
5.Components of Democracy: Representation
6.Components of Democracy: Decision Rules
7.Deliberative Democracy
8.The Future of Democracy: liberal, post-liberal or unruly?
9.The Future of Democracy: direct, associational or delegative?
Bibliography
Dahl, Robert, Democracy and its Critics, New Haven/London, Yale University Press, 1989, pp. 1-33, 213-224, 322-341
Schmitter, Philippe C., Karl, Terry Lynn, What Democracy is ... and is not, in Larry Diamond, Marc F. Plattner, ed., The Global Resurgence of Democracy, Baltimore and London, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, pp. 49-62.
Huntington, Samuel P., The Third Wave. Democratization in the Late Twentieth Century, Norman and London, University of Oklahoma Press, 1991, pp. 1-30.
Linz, Juan and Stepan, Alfred, Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation. Southern Europe, South America, and Post-Communist Europe, Baltimore and London, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, pp. 3-87.
Lijphart, Arend, Democracies: Patterns of Majoritarian and Consensus Government in Twenty-One Countries, New Haven and London, Yale University Press, 1984, pp. 1-45.
Teaching method
Presentation and discussion of the literature in class
Evaluation method
Participation in Class: 25%
Written Test: 75%