Rethinking and building democracy in a changing international order

The main goal of the course is to reflect on the transformative crisis that democracy is undergoing and which is affecting the quality and functioning of democratic systems and public administrations in different parts of the world. This crisis is apparent in different ways: civic apathy, where many people feel disengaged from politics, which leads to low voter turnout, greater scepticism regarding politicians and a growing apathy about the democratic process; the rise of populism, which has emerged in response to the lack of trust in the political elite, with movements that promise to respect the citizens, but they often simplify complex problems and can undermine democratic norms by fostering controversial and divisive narratives; the ever-greater economic inequality, where the gap between rich and poor has led to a sense of injustice and marginalisation, fuelling discontent and the search for Techno-Populist political alternatives; the erosion of the institutions, where the democratic institutions in some countries are being weakened by authoritarian leaders who are seeking to concentrate power, which includes attacking freedom of press, judicial independence and civil society, threatening the balance of power; and misinformation and misleading, where the proliferation of fake news and the manipulating of information through social media hinder the ability of the citizens to make informed decisions, which can led to polarisation and radicalisation of opinions.

This course will consider the factors leading to the transformation of democracy around the world and we will seek to explain what is happening in the democracies around us. We will delve further into the current state of the political debate about the transformation of democracy and its consequences; we will examine the fundamental challenges for upholding and consolidating democracy, both from the point of view of public policies and the grassroots political culture.