FYS: Democracy is Hard

3 Credits.

This First-Year Seminar will investigate the American democratic experiment from multiple angles, including by exploring the differences between democratic and alternative forms of governance; the founders' democratic ideals and blindspots; their debates about design; historical shifts in conceptions of democracy and citizenship; and the ever-present social and cultural challenges (and joys!) of practicing democracy and forging a common life across our religious, economic and other differences.