DEMOCRACY AND DEMOCRATIC THEORY

GRADO EN ESTUDIOS GLOBALES/GLOBAL STUDIES

Curso 2023/2024

1. Subject Information

(Date last modified: 08-01-24 14:00)

Code: 109005
Plan: 290
ECTS: 6.00

Type: Basic
Year: 1
Duration: Second semester

Area: CIENCIA POLÍTICA Y DE LA ADMINISTRACIÓN

Departament: Derecho Público General

Virtual platform: Campus Virtual de la Universidad de Salamanca

Professor Information

Profesor/Profesora: Isabel Inguanzo Ortiz
Group/s: Único

Centre: Fac. Derecho

Office: 153 (Facultad de Derecho)

Office hours: Please send an email for convening office hours

Web address: http://campus.usal.es/~acpa/

E-mail: isabel_io@usal.es
Telephone: -

Professor: Valentín Clavé Mercier
Group/s: Único

Centre: -

Office: -

Office hours: -

Web address: -

E-mail
Telephone: -

2. Association of the subject matter within the study plan

Curricular area to which the subject matter pertains.

Basic

Professional profile.

International organizations, political analysis, political counseling

3. Prerequisites

There are no special requirements for this course, however having passed ‘Introduction to Political Science’ would be helpful. Also, students should be comfortable reading in English.

4. Learning objectives

After successfully completing this course, you will be able to:

• Explain the different conceptions of democracy,

• Explain the different theoretical approaches to it,

• Analyze the empirical challenges of these approaches

• Identify the theoretical weaknesses of each approach

• Critically identify gaps & biases in democratic literature

5. Contents

Theory.

Unit 1: Introduction to democratic theory

BLOCK 1: MAINSTREAM DEMOCRATIC THEORY

Unit 2: Liberalism

Unit 2: Pluralism

Unit 3: Social choice theory

BLOCK 2: THE CRITICS

Unit 4: Participatory democracy

Unit 5: Deliberative democracy

BLOCK 3: TOPIC DECIDED BY THE STUDENTS

Practice.

Debates over controversial topics in democratic theory

Discussion of assigned readings

Workshops: Applying and assessing democratic theories in real life

Games: Practicing different conception of democracy

Final Mock-debate

6. Competences acquired

Basic / General.

CB3. “Que los estudiantes tengan la capacidad de reunir e interpretar datos relevantes normalmente dentro de su área de estudio de para emitir juicios que incluyan una reflexión sobre temas relevantes de índole social, científica o ética”.

CB4. “Que los estudiantes puedan transmitir información, ideas, problemas y soluciones a un público tanto especializado como no especializado”.

Specific.

CE8 – “Describir y valorar las distintas teorías sobre la democracia así como comprender el funcionamiento de la democracia y sus diferencias con otros regímenes políticos”.

7. Teaching methods

Asignatura de Plan a Extinguir. No tiene docencia pero el alumnado podrá convenir tutorías en función de las necesidades.

Los materiales de estudio (manual y lecturas obligatorias de cara al examen) estarán colgados en studium

8. Anticipated distribution of the use of the different teaching methods

9. Resources

Reference books.

RECOMMENDED TEXTBOOK

Cunningham, F. (2002). Theories of democracy: a critical introduction. Routledge.

READING LIST

Your professor has assigned a number of selected classical works and scholarly journal articles. All of them will be available on the internet (Studium platform).

RECOMMENDED WORKS FOR AVID READERS & YOUNG POLITICAL PHILOSPHERS

Benhabib, Sheila (ed). 1996. Democracy & Difference. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Dahl, Robert A. 1992. Democracy and its Critics. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Held, David. 2006. Models of Democracy. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
Lijphart, Arend. 1999. Patterns of Democracy. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Pateman, Carole 1970 Participation and Democratic Theory, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Schumpeter, Joseph (1994) [1942]: Capitalism, Socialism, Democracy. London: Routledge

10. Assessment

Assessment criteria.

Good knowledge and assessment of theories and readings selected on the syllabus.

Assessment tools.

Essay type of exam (100%) on a problem of democracy addressed by all theories discussed in class.