Liberal democracy is now the preferred political system and professed destination of most of the world's states. But this is a very recent development. Until a couple of decades ago, communism was a major rival on the world stage; earlier in the century fascism was also a serious rival, and before the twentieth century very few people had anything favourable to say about democracy in modern states. This unit examines this potent political force from two main perspectives. It traces the foundational ideas of liberal democracy such as limited government, personal liberty, individual rights, political equality, majority rule and political participation, together with the development of these... -- Course Website
Instructor: Professor David van Mill