Contemporary Democratic Politics MA

University of Sussex

This course is designed for students who are concerned about the future of democratic politics and want to play a role in safeguarding and improving democracy.Democracy is in crisis. Authoritarianism is on the rise, societies are divided and democratic resilience is being tested. In the UK and across the globe, democratic governments struggle to manage the effects of severe economic inequality, affective polarisation, digital misinformation and climate change.On this course, you’ll study the political challenges arising from recent social and global changes. Key themes you’ll explore include:populism and authoritarianismaffective polarisation and the role of emotions in politicscapitalism and social inequalityclimate changemedia, technology and post-truthsocial movements, protest mobilisation and radical democracydemocratic innovations and citizens participationstrategies to improve how democracies respond and adapt to challenges.

School of Global Studies