Exploring Power, Politics, and Democracy

Aug 21, 2024

DeVane Lectures on Power and Politics

Overview of the Lectures

  • Focus on power and politics in the last 30 years (since 1989)
  • Contrast with the previous 40 years of stability post-WWII
  • Historical perspective to aid understanding of changes

Historical Context

The Stability Post-WWII (1945-1989)

  • Era of relative stability and prosperity in advanced capitalist democracies
  • Cold War created international stability but through proxy wars
  • Conflicts like the Cuban Missile Crisis and Vietnam War had distant impacts on Western citizens

Key Events of 1989

  • Berlin Wall: Symbol of division between East and West
  • Tearing down of the Berlin Wall celebrated as a significant change
  • Soviet Union losing its grip on Eastern Europe; rise of democratization movements
  • Contrast with Tiananmen Square protests in China, which ended violently

Rise of Democracy

  • 1989 saw the democratization of former Soviet bloc countries, including South Africa's transition to multi-racial democracy
  • Good Friday Accords in Northern Ireland (1997) marked progress in long-standing conflicts
  • Early 1990s optimism: belief in the spread of liberal democracy and economic prosperity (Fukuyama's "end of history" thesis)

Shift in Political Landscape (2016-Present)

Rise of Far-Right Parties

  • Examination of the Alternative for Deutschland (AFD) in Germany
  • Establishment parties weakening; rise of fringe parties globally
  • Comparison with 1930s Germany and fears of repeating history

Global Political Shockwaves

  • Brexit in the UK and Trump's election in the US as unexpected outcomes
  • Growing support for far-right parties in Austria, Belgium, Italy, and Sweden

Central Questions of the Course

  1. How did we get from the optimism of 1989 to current political instability?
  2. What are the challenges and prospects for the future?
  3. How can we work towards better political outcomes?

Methodological Approach

  • Combination of political science and political theory
  • Use history as a tool to evaluate political theories and assumptions
  • New data from post-1989 world allows re-evaluation of established political theories

Course Structure

Sections of the Course

  1. Collapse of Communism: Overview of the post-communist landscape (Eastern Europe, Russia, China, Vietnam)
  2. Rise of Neoliberalism: Economic policies following the collapse of communism, including the Washington Consensus
  3. Emergence of International Institutions: Impact of new governance structures on global politics
  4. Challenges to Democracy: Examining the resurgence of state capitalism and global conflicts (9/11, Iraq, Syria)
  5. New Politics of Insecurity: Analysis of economic policies in response to the 2008 financial crisis and its political implications

Logistical Details

  • Lectures recorded, audience participation encouraged
  • Office hours available for students and community members (Christina Seyfreid as head teaching fellow)
  • Reading materials accessible via Yale's resources and public libraries
  • Format: no laptops or phones during exams; focus on in-class interaction
  • Next lecture will discuss the collapse of the Soviet Union and transition to post-communist systems.