Seminar Outline

How does the current economic crisis affect the way liberal democracies are ruled and the potential for authoritarianism and populism? Globalization and liberal democracy are often seen as mutually supportive. But some political economists point out that democracy is an achievement of economic development, an affair to be enjoyed once the basic standards of economic life reach an acceptable level.  In view of the faltering of the economies of the advanced states and the impressive surge in the BRICs, who controls economic development and whether their visions are compatible with democracy  presents questions relevant to future of democracy, global security, and a humane future.

One useful way to explore this question is to look for historical cases that may be comparable. Recent commentators have pointed to the crash of 1929 and the ensuing depression, particularly those concerned to advance a Keynesian economic response, but also authoritarian populist one. Others have related economic crises to changes in state formation, linking the great depression to the Keynesian welfare state and the crisis of economic stagflation and globalization to the neoliberal program of President Reagan and Prime Minister Thatcher.
 
This seminar will explore the question of the interrelationship between problems in the political economy and the formation of a fascist and/or authoritarian populist responses to the needs for political order. What conditions foster authoritarian responses to failure of liberal democracy and how authoritarianism provides response to problems of governance and order will be examined.  It will proceed by focusing on the political economy of fascist states in the early twentieth century, state forms that gained momentum from the liberal economic crises of the early twentieth century. Then comparison can be made with the current crisis of political economy in the advanced states and inferences about the potential for fascism or neofascism can be explored. Throughout a concern for state power will guide discussion.

In America this process this has been reflected in a growing polarization of the two great parties of state the Democrats and Republicans. "To many, the increasingly distinct nature of parties has caused the American ) political system to become polarized. The term polarization in a strict definitional sense captures what has been going on among political elites. Conservative Democrats and liberal Republicans have largely become a thing of the past (Rohde 1991), a process advanced significantly by the 2006 congressional elections. Although ordinary Americans profess to dislike the polarization in Washington, the political system is rigged such that it is nearly impossible to remove its most polar elements." (Mark J. Hetherington, Authoritarianism & Polarization in American Politics, Cambridge, 2009, p. 190).

Into this increasingly polarized environment the Tea Party movement erupted in 2009 reflecting and amplifying this trend in US politics. Where did it emerge from, what does it represent and what does it portend for Republican and wider issues of US political economy. This will form the final seminar in the series and was also the subject of a Taft Research Centre lecture, delivered to the Department of Political Science faculty and students, on 19th May 2011. (PowerPoint Tea Party Taft Lecture Here) 

Seminar #1.

Fascism and Political Economy. Defining Generic 'fascism' and its Relationship to Political Economy

Seminar #2

Traditional Historical Approaches to Fascism: Marxist and Liberal Ideational Theories

Seminar #3

Case Studies of Fascism #1 The Political Economy of Early Fascism 1919-33

Seminar #4

Case Studies of Fascism #2 Regime Fascism in Germany and Italy

Seminar #5

Right Wing Populism & US Democracy in an Era of Global Crisis - the Tea Party Movement.

Seminar Organisation and Schedule 

Baldwin - Room 643 - alternate Wednesdays  beginning  04/06/2011

Full Program Dates 

6th April/ 20th April/  4th May / 18th May / June 1st

Times 12.00-1.50

All faculty and interested student welcome. Those students wishing to take the seminar for credits must adheere to the rules below. 

Attendance and Participation: Students are expected  to attend class at the scheduled times and to participate in class discussions. Attendance is mandatory and will count toward the final grade.  This will count for 40 percent of the final grade. 

Response Essays:

Students will be expected to write  response essays to the readings. Response essays should be your own critical analysis of the main points and methods contained in the readings.  How do the analyses you read use emotion, values, and logic to constitute their arguments?  How do you evaluate the strength of the arguments.  

The response papers are to be handed in at the start of class on the day they are due.

All papers should be double spaced, stapled, with 1 inch margins and not exceed 1000 words.  The response essays will count for 60 percent of the final grade. 

Sessions will be guided by the seminar convener* and professor Baker, guiding discussion based on brief readings.

*UC Seminar Convener:
Joel D Wolfe
Professor
Department of Political Science
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH 45211-0375
513-556-3307