Minor in Security Studies - Building Democracy and Peace POLI 3520   Building Democracy and Peace
CREDIT HOURS: 3
Many people have long argued that there is an intimate relationship between democracy and peace. Thus, they claim, democracies are much more inclined to peace - both internal and external than other political systems. It is clear that democracy allows the representation of a large number of interest in a society, and this can lead to peaceful resolution of-or accommodation of - disputes.There have been many studies about established democracies in this regard, but less research into societies in transition--i.e., countries which are democratizing. Since countries in transition present the majority of countries in the world, it would seem timely to study this phenomenon. Democratization involves a multitude of steps and must therefore incorporate a great variety of actors, particularly in post-conflict societies. The role of three (overlapping) elements in post-conflict societies in the process of democratizing appear to be the key. These elements are civil society, the institutional environment and refugees. This third or fourth year level course will examine these key actors/elements and processes.
FORMAT: Lecture