At the beginning of the last century, most people and analysts expected steady democratization and prosperity. We now know better. The twentieth century, for all its economic and technological improvements, has also witnessed terrible intolerance, from attacks on civilians in war to ethnic purging to the holocaust. Intolerance has led to wars between states, to violence within states (such as Bosnia, Rwanda, and Kosovo, among the most recent). However, there are successes, Chile, South Africa, Germany, Portugal, and others, recovered as stable democracies from authoritarian rule. Hence the three questions posed by this course: 1) what are the most important factors in producing and increasing intolerance; 2) what are the factors that produce and strengthen tolerance; and 3) what can be done to increase a society's tolerance, both in the United States and abroad? This course makes use of historical, political, and literary sources. The course begins with the standard explanations of what makes societies prosperous and peaceful as well as explains malevolence in its various forms. We then turn to the events of the twentieth century to explore what accounts for instances of success and of failure. Format: lecture/discussion. Requirements: students will select a case to explore and write a 10- to 14-page report as well as take a midterm and final examination. No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 35 (expected: 20). Preference given to students with a background in Political Science, Psychology and/or Philosophy. American Politics, Comparative Politics, and Political Theory Subfields