*Z3A. Dynamics of Democracy
History & World Affairs | Registration closed 9/13/2025
This 6-week course covers political change in democratic states—especially their collapse. We focus on the collapse-prone foundations of democracy itself rather than on the exogenous threats like war or depression. Each class intersperses analysis with different feature-length films that exemplify the collapse, which will be viewed outside class. A preliminary film list includes Animal Farm (1954, 72 min.), Cabaret (1972, 124 min.), An Enemy of the People (1978, 103 min.), High Noon (1952, 85 min.), Seven Days in May (1964, 118 min.), and Lord of the Flies (1963, 92 min.). Suggestions for other films are welcome.
- Image courtesy of Shutterstock
Craig McCaughrin
Presenter
Craig McCaughrin holds a PhD in political science from the University of Minnesota. Now retired, he was previously a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and at Washington and Lee University, where he taught classes on international politics, ran a film festival, and hosted a radio show on game theory and opera. He also taught for two years at the American University in Bulgaria.
Jeff Christensen
Session Manager
Carmela Gersbeck
Class Manager & Session Manager
Mary McClellan
Producer & Class Manager