Democracy and Globalization

University of St. Gallen (with Michael Bechtel)

Fall 2014

Globalization poses challenges to democratic institutions. Democracy aims at aligning citizens’ preferences and public policy through the use of elections. But many facets of globalization, e.g., the dramatic increase in international capital flows, cannot be governed solely by domestic policy decisions within a democracy. This raises the question of how successful democracy is in achieving effective governance and meaningful electoral accountability. In this research-orientated course we addresses this question in the context of economic and environmental policy, two important and closely related areas of public policy-making in which globalization plays a crucial role. The course consists of weekly lectures and tutorials. It is designed for MIA, MEcon, and other MA students (e.g., MIQE/F, MLaw, MSIM,…) that share an interest in democracy, political institutions, international economics, and environmental politics.