DEMOCRACY IN EUROPE

obligatory courses

I. Definitions

II. Europe as the cradle of democracy - the history of the idea of democracy

III. Axiological foundations of democracy

IV. A national state as a traditional framework of political democracy

V. Waves of democratization in Europe - systemic solutions

VI. Democracy in Europe facing integration and globalization

I. Definitions:

1. the notion of democracy in its etymological sense;

2. descriptive and normative definitions of democracy;

3. the political, social and economic dimension of democracy.

II. Europe as the cradle of democracy - the history of the idea of democracy

1. strenghts and limitations of classical Greek democracy

2. assessment of democracy in the political thought of the Middle Ages

3. democracy and political concepts of the Renaissance;

4. democracy and the idea of representation and national sovereignty in the political concepts of the 17th and 18th centuries;

5. the idea of democracy in light of liberal and conservative criticism after the French Revolution

6. democratic and antidemocratic ideologies in the political thought of the 20th century

7. major contemporary concepts of democratic government

III. Axiological foundations of democracy:

1. values: liberty, equality, majority rule

2. principles of rule of law, division of powers, political alternation (elections), freedom of organization, freedom of establishing political parties, freedom of speech and association, freedom of assembly, freedom of petition

3. presence of the basic values in a democratic country

IV. A national state as a traditional framework of political democracy

1. the United States of America

2. the United Kingdom of Great Britain

3. France

4. Germany

5. Switzerland

6. Poland

7. the Ukraine and Russia

V. Waves of democratization in Europe - systemic solutions

1. Athenian democracy

2. representation government in the Middle Ages and Noble's democracy

3. liberal democracy in Europe in the 19th century

4. liberal democracy and its limitations in Europe after World War I;

5. reinforcement of democratic rule after World War II

6. Democratization of Central and Eastern European states after 1989.

VI. Democracy in Europe facing integration and globalization

1. the impact of European integration on the working of democracy in Europe

2. the democratic dimension of the political system of the European Union

3. the supranational dimension of democracy withing the globalization process

4. contemporary European populism as a result of the weakness of democracy