Threats to Democracy at Home and Abroad

Dr Jason Jordan, Professor and Chair of Political Science and International Relations, Drew University

5 Wednesday mornings, 10 am-12 pm; (2 hours); May 28, June 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2025.

The dramatic expansion of democracy worldwide is perhaps the single greatest and most unexpected political phenomenon in human history.  In 1800, only a handful of countries could claim to have even minimally representative governments, while today the majority of the people of the world live in countries classified as free and democratic.  Despite these successes, democracy worldwide is imperiled by a broad array of social and political forces, including the rise of social media and AI, the increasing allure of anti-liberal populism, and the emergence of new authoritarian tactics of electoral manipulation. 

This course examines the normative foundations of democracy, the factors that contribute to the emergence and healthy survival of democratic politics, and the new challenges faced by those who seek to promote and protect democratic governments.

May 28: Arriving at the End of History: Patterns of Democracy Around the World

June 4: Democratic Culture: Who Wants Democracy Anyway?

June 11: Truth in the Disinformation Age: Social Media, AI, and Conspiracy Thinking, or, How Free Media Ate Free Media

June 18: Democratic Institutions: The Perils of Presidentialism and Electoral Manipulation

June 25: Was Democracy Just a Moment?  Anti-Democratic Liberalism vs. Anti-Liberal Democracy

Dr. Jason Jordan is Professor and Chair of Political Science and International Relations at Drew University. He earned his PhD from the University of Colorado and his B.A. from the University of Texas, Dallas.  At the broadest level, his research and teaching interests center on public opinion, social welfare, and the broader political economy of Europe and other advanced capitalist democracies.  His early work explored why levels of support for the welfare state vary across countries, pointing to a number of factors, including the influence of religion and so-called “policy feedback effects.”  More recently, his research examines the consequences of significant cross-national differences in the levels of political knowledge for public opinion and voting.