AIP746 - Challenges to Democracy

Unit details

Year:

2024 unit information

Enrolment modes:

Trimester 2: Online, Community Based Delivery (CBD)*

Credit point(s):1
EFTSL value:0.125
Unit Chair:Benjamin Isakhan
Cohort rule:Nil
Prerequisite:

Nil

Corequisite:Nil
Incompatible with: AIP446
Typical study commitment:

Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit.

This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site.

Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment:

Online independent and collaborative learning activities equivalent to 1 x 1-hour per week

Note:

*Community Based Delivery (CBD) is for National Indigenous Knowledges, Education, Research and Innovation NIKERI Institute students only.

Content

Democracies face a host of unprecedented challenges: climate change, disease pandemics, religious and ethnic conflict, refugee crises, rapid digital transformations, and ever-widening global inequalities. These challenges are at once local and global in scope and compounded by globalization, post-truth politics and free-market capital. How can democracies meet these challenges and progress towards the creation of a more sustainable, peaceful and tolerant world? This unit introduces students to key conceptions of democratic governance, from the ‘civic republican’ model to the ‘liberal minimalist’ view. It then examines the ways democratic forms of governance operate at the local, national, transnational and global level – drawing on diverse examples such as the European Union and the United Nations. Students will benefit from learning about the complex problems democracy faces today and how theories and practices of democracy are evolving to address these challenges.

ULO These are the Learning Outcomes (ULO) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes
ULO1

Demonstrate a broad and coherent knowledge of issues of governance, models of democracy and explanations of democratisation

Analyse statements about governance, democracy and democratisation and debate the merits of various views about governance, democracy and democratisation

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

ULO2

Demonstrate an ability to evaluate, gather, organise, and use various forms of evidence to explain various aspects of different cases of democratic governance

Compile and evaluate evidence relevant to the processes of democratic governance and decide how far a particular case exhibits these processes

GLO5: Problem solving

ULO3

Evaluate different models of democracy and different explanations of democratisation

Dispute various positions and develop arguments in ongoing debates about democratic governance

GLO4: Critical thinking

ULO4

Communicate effectively in oral and written work

Effectively communicate the findings and analyses of political science and apply them to real-world contexts, and do this in a range of formats for a range of readers

GLO2: Communication

Assessment

Assessment Description Student output Grading and weighting
(% total mark for unit)
Indicative due week
Assessment 1 - Essay 2000 words or equivalent 40% Information not yet available
Assessment 2 - Essay 3000 words or equivalent 60% Information not yet available

The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.

Learning Resource

The texts and reading list for the unit can be found on the University Library via AIP746
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.

Unit Fee Information

Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.

Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.

Use the Fee estimator to see course and unit fees applicable to your course and type of place.

For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.