Social Democracy in Europe

(4 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

In this course, we will examine the state of social democratic parties today by tracing their evolution from the rise of leftist parties in the 19th century to the present. The first part will explore historical academic debates on social democracy, class politics, as well as the development of party systems. In the second part, we will analyse the current challenges facing social democratic parties, highlight different explanations for their decline in voter support, and draw connections to historical debates on the subject. Finally, we will discuss potential strategies for the future of social democracy.