AMU3440 Democracy and development: A global studies perspective

From the last decade of the 20th century to the present, western states have aggressively promoted liberal democracy as a desirable political system. Such promotion takes the form of direct engagement with social and political actors in ‘developing states’ to transform the politics of non-western states. This unit offers you the opportunity to explore what has been called the ‘democracy promotion industry’ by researching the ideology underpinning its institutions and policies. Taking a global studies perspective, you will research through a case study how democracy promotion has been received and negotiated in different contexts. What happens when a claimed universal ideology (liberal democracy) is transposed by ‘democracy warriors’ to places where institutions, cultures, ideologies and political economies do not align with the conditions that sustain liberal democracy? You will study cases from Africa and Asia before researching a case study of your choosing.