ESP Biography

Presidential or parliamentary systems? First-past-the-post? Proportional representation? The electoral college? There are many ways to design a democratic political system that will have various effects on who gets elected, who is represented, and much more. In a democracy, people typically demand representative and accountable government. Many also wish for their government to be efficient and for their political system to maintain peace. However, some of these demands may come into conflict with each other. It is difficult for a democratic system to satisfy all these demands. Through examining different ways to design a democracy, this seminar will function as an introduction to comparative politics. We will be thinking about different factors that may influence how the "ideal" democracy looks and how we can evaluate outcomes across the world.