DeVane Lectures: Power and Politics in Today's World

Introduction

Lecturer: Delighted to give the DeVane Lectures.
Audience: Combination of Yale students and the general public.
Focus: Power and politics in the last 30 years since 1989, a tumultuous period of great change.
Comparison: The 40 years before 1989 were relatively stable for advanced capitalist democracies, marked by prosperity and political stability.

The Significance of 1989

Berlin Wall Collapse: A significant event indicating the loss of Soviet grip on Eastern Europe.
Global Impact: Initiated resistance movements across Eastern Europe; democratization movements worldwide, including South Africa and Northern Ireland.
Economic and Political Changes: Move towards liberal democracy, marked by free-market capitalism (neoliberalism) and the Washington Consensus.
Enthusiasm for Change: 1989-1991 democratization seen as inevitable.

The Rise of Populist Movements

Germany's Experience: Focus on the rise of Alternative for Deutschland (AfD), a far-right anti-immigrant party.
Political Stability: Decrease in popularity of establishment parties; rise of smaller, extreme parties.
Comparison to 1930s: Anxiety about the rise of extremist parties similar to pre-World War II era.

Global Shift Since 2016

Populist Shocks: Brexit in the UK and Trump's election in the US.
Global Trends: Rise of anti-establishment parties; notable cases in Austria, Belgium, Italy, and other European nations.
Pattern: Shrinking establishment parties and rising fringe parties worldwide, including non-European contexts like Turkey and Latin America.

Course Structure and Approach

Three Central Questions:
1. How did we get from post-1989 optimism to current discontent?
2. What are the challenges and prospects moving forward?
3. How can we imagine a better future?
Studying History with Political Science: Using new data from post-1989 events to reassess conventional wisdom; examining modernization theory, state-run economies vs. democracy, stability of democracies, etc.
Integrating Political Theory: Bridging normative goals with practical implementation strategies; exploring paths not taken (e.g., NATO expansion, the Global War on Terror, responses to the 2008 financial crisis).
Effective Political Action: Combining good public policy with political strategy for achieving goals.

Course Outline

Collapse of Communism and Its Aftermath
- Focus on Eastern Europe, Russia, China, and Vietnam.
- Unipolar world dominance by a single power.
- Rise of neoliberalism and the Washington Consensus.
New Global Order
- Democratization trends and failures.
- Development of international institutions post-1989 (e.g., International Criminal Court, UN's responsibility to protect).
End of the End of History
- Effects of 9/11 and the global War on Terror.
- Resurgence of state capitalism and roles of Russia and China.
New Politics of Insecurity
- Government responses to the 2008 financial crisis; growing workforce insecurity.
Paths to a Better Future
- Diagnosing and addressing misdiagnosed voter sentiment and ineffective reform.
- Effective strategies for political and economic improvements.

Logistical Details

Videotaped Lectures: Including Q&A sessions recorded.
Office Hours: For both students and community members; interactive sessions to be posted online.
Access to Reading Material: Available through Yale's Canvas and New Haven Public Library.
Exams: Multiple alternate dates for final exams.
Classroom Policy: No laptops or screens. Slides will be posted online.

Conclusion

Next Class: Focus on the collapse of Soviet communism and transition to Russian capitalism.
Encouragement for Interaction: Future sessions to include more Q&A and interactive discussions.

Overall, the course aims to explore the past three decades' political shifts by integrating historical analysis with political science tools and theories, all while engaging students in reflective and normative thinking about current and future political landscapes.