Description

As we look at the governments of the various countries of Europe today, we see, not surprisingly, a great variety. Some, such as the United Kingdom, France, and Germany have reasonably robust democracies. Others, such as Hungary, have a form of populism that borders on authoritarianism. Illiberal democracy is often used to describe the governments of Poland and Turkey.

Our S/DG will study how these and the other major countries of Europe arrived at their current state. (For this S/DG Europe will stop at the border of the former Soviet Union.) To guide us in our study, we will read Democracy and Dictatorship in Europe by Sheri Berman, a professor of Political Science at Barnard College, Columbia University. The subtitle of the book, From the Ancien Régime to the Present Day, gives the historical time periods covered. The chapter titles, shown in the weekly topics below, give an excellent idea of the topics covered. In week 10 we will read and discuss an article (to be provided) by Sheri Berman and a colleague.

For each of the countries and time periods covered, our book gives us the political, economic, and social conditions that help us understand why that country went the way it did at that particular time. Berman believes that the ultimate goal for any country is “consolidated liberal democracy,” with elections, the rule of law, individual liberties, and minority rights. That is a rare, and hard-won achievement. A step forward is often followed by a step back. We will see why democracy is so difficult to achieve.

In our study of liberal democracies, we will explore the tension between democracy—rule by the people that can slide into repression of minority views, and liberal—respect for each individual.

In a sentence with a lot of long words, Francis Fukuyama well says: “Sheri Berman is one of the best comparativists going, providing an encompassing framework for understanding the historical development of modern institutions.”

I don’t think we have to worry about not having enough to talk about every week.

Weekly Topics

Ch. 1. Questions about Political Developmen / Ch. 2. The Ancien Régime
Ch. 3. English Exceptionalism / Ch. 4. The French Revolution
Ch. 5. 1848 / Ch. 6. The French Third Republic
Ch. 7. Italian Unification / Ch. 8. German Unification
Ch. 9. The Struggle for Democracy in Interwar France / Ch. 10. English Exceptionalism II
Ch. 11. The Collapse of Democracy and the Rise of Fascism in Italy / Ch. 12. The Collapse of the Weimar Republic and the Rise of National Socialism in Germany
Ch. 13. Political Development in Spain / Ch. 14. The Consolidation of Democracy in Western Europe
Ch. 15. The Transition to Communist Dictatorships in East-Central Europe / Ch. 16. The Transition to Democracy in Spain
Ch. 17. The Transition to Democracy in East Central Europe
Ch. 18. Lessons from Europe Sheri Berman and Maria Snegovaya. "Populism and the Decline of Social Democracy.” Journal of Democracy, July 2019.