OSHER 340 - Democracy: What is it? How Does it Work? How Does it Fail?

We live in a democracy and believe that democracy is the best form of government, perhaps the only morally acceptable form. Democracy is more than voting. It involves norms like the rule of law, judicial independence, freedom of speech and the press, tolerance, and more. Currently, a number of nations seem to be moving from democratic to more authoritarian forms of government. Some fear that democracy in the United States is also under threat. We will try to understand these events and trends. Our first and primary task will be to understand what democracy is, how it has developed, and what conditions are necessary to make and keep it a workable and desirable form of government.