Two Faces of Democracy

Two Faces of Democracy

   

There is a strong impetus today to export democracy, but democracy assumes the shape of the country in which it arises. In this course, we will analyze and compare the world’s first modern democracy (the U.S. with its presidential form) and the world’s largest democratic nation (India with its parliamentary form). The course will focus on how democracy operates in the U.S. and India, demonstrating that democracy in both nations is not a finished product but a continuing process toward improvement. We will explore several dimensions and measures of democracy, such as vibrancy, voter turnouts, civil liberties, and degree of demographic representation in legislatures.

Course Leaders: Dr. Mohan R. Limaye, a Fulbright scholar from India, is an Emeritus Professor in the College of Business at Boise State University. He has published about and taught courses in international business and in diplomatic relations. Because his older brother was a member of India’s parliament for many years, Dr. Limaye was exposed to his nation’s political debates as a teenager.

Dr. Ross E. Burkhart, Associate Professor of Political Science, is Chair of the Department of Political Science at Boise State University. His teaching specialties are in international relations, comparative politics, and research methodology; and his research on cross-national patterns of democracy has appeared in prestigious political science journals.