Seminar in Sociology

PREREQUISITES: 3 COURSES IN SOCIOLOGY, INCLUDING SOC-UA 1 OR SOC-UA 2 OR SOC-UA 3 OR PERMISSION OF INSTRUCTOR.

There are growing signs of a crisis in democratic institutions in the United States. Rising levels of political polarization – where both citizens and political elites have moved apart in ways that make civil discourse and reasoned compromise possible – are one sign of this crisis. The successful campaign of real estate mogul Donald Trump to win the presidency in 2016 divided the country along racial and ethnic lines. The many scandals of the Trump Administration since assuming office have proved difficult for Congress, the media, and the courts to police, and Trump’s own behavior in office has also routinely ignored basic norms of democratic institutions. In this course, we will consider how the current crisis emerged, how and in what ways the Trump presidency represents a basic challenge to American political institutions, why democratic institutions have proved ineffectual in the face of the Trump presidency, and whether we are entering a new “era” of political contention in which Trump’s style of campaigning and governing will continue after he leaves office.

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