COLL: MAKING DEMOCRACY WORK

Beginning in the mid-1970s a democratic wave swept the globe.  It started in Southern Europe, spread throughout Latin America, parts of East Asia and Africa, and engulfed the former Soviet bloc.  In all, dozens of new democracies emerged during the late twentieth century and by the early 21st century there were more democracies in the world than there had ever been before.  Over the last decade and a half, however, a democratic undertow has sent in.  Many new democracies have slid back towards dictatorship and many old democracies have experienced significant problems as well.  This colloquium will exam the literature on democratic consolidation and backsliding, providing students with an overview of the most important theories about what makes democracy work—or not.