Throughout Europe,
many democratic systems face increasing pressure from illiberal actors. But
unlike previous decades, where democracies frequently collapsed through sudden coups
or revolutions, democratic decline today proceeds gradually and incrementally.
However, the question why some democracies erode, but others remain resilient
remains equally relevant. This course (Übung
to Pflichtmodul 3 “Vergleichende
Politikwissenschaft”) offers an introduction to the study of democratic
erosion and resilience. Through discussions, in-class exercises, and readings, students
will learn about both the theoretical foundations and the empirical evidence
regarding the study of democratic erosion. After an overview of the most
important concepts, we focus on one key explanatory factor per session. A final
block adopts a birds-eye view, bringing together previous insights.
- المعلم: David Knoll
- المعلم: Florence Gauzy
- المعلم: Florence Gauzy
- المعلم: Florence Gauzy Krieger
Course: The Role of Values in Politics
Course description
In this course, we will combine insights from political psychology and political communication to explore the concept political values as well as the drivers and consequences of voters’ and politicians’ (appeal to) values. Specifically, we will examine how to define and measure political values, the psychological and social influences on value formation, and the role values play in contemporary politics, especially in relation to the phenomenon “political moralization”. We will, for instance, explore the complex relationship between value appeals and political polarization, whether certain values universally map onto left and right ideologies, and whether context matters for how political values are interpreted and expressed.
Examples of literature used in the course
- Halman, Loek, ' Political Values', in Russell J. Dalton, and Hans‐Dieter Klingemann (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Political Behavior (2007)
- Blumenau and Lauderdale 2022: The variable persuasiveness of political rhetoric
- Jung 2020: The Mobilizing Effect of Parties' Moral Rhetoric
- Schwartz, S. H., Caprara, G. V., & Vecchione, M. (2010). Basic personal values, core political values, and voting: A longitudinal analysis. Political psychology, 31(3).
- المعلم: Ida Norregaard