- Course Catalog Description:
- Selected topics.
- Class Notes:
- http://classinfo.umn.edu/?cewig@umn.edu+PA5490+Spring2017
- Class Description:
A central tenet of democracy is the equal and just representation of its citizens. Yet, democracies around the world only unevenly represent their citizens - whether measured by the make-up of their political representatives or by the substance of their political agendas. In this course, students will learn the reasons for the uneven representation of women and racial and ethnic minorities in political office, the consequences of this under representation for political agendas, and the mechanisms that have been used to increase the election and appointment of underrepresented groups as well as the representation of their interests on policy agendas. The course is global in scope; it approaches the issue of gender, race and political representation through the study of cross-national evidence and comparative country studies from around the world in order to identify the best practices for strengthening the representation of under-represented groups.
- Learning Objectives:
- to develop a better understanding of how and why different groups, in particular women and racial or ethnic minorities, are often represented unevenly in democratic societies and the normative and ethical implications of uneven representation.
to understand the individual, structural and institutional factors that that have been key to improved political representation of traditionally underrepresented groups.
to understand the role of cultural and political context as well as global position for patterns of political representation and the options available to change these patterns.
to learn how to write succinctly and powerfully for a broad, policy-oriented audience.
to analyze, synthesize, and think critically about problems of democratic representation.
- Grading:
15% Biography of a Cabinet Nominee
25% Descriptive Representation Policy Brief
25% Substantive Representation Policy Analysis
10% Substantive Discussion Questions
25% Participation in class
- Textbooks:
- https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/69344/1173
- Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
- 21 February 2017