This course examines what has become a prominent and controversial question in international relations: does democracy matter in world politics? More specifically, how do democratic institutions and liberal values influence the foreign policies pursued by democratic states? These questions have become particularly significant in the post-Cold War period, as the promotion of democracy and liberal values seems to be a dominant feature in the globalization of political ideas. This course begins by examining what democracy is as a distinctive political system, how the ancient Greeks and Enlightenment philosophers of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries thought of democracy and international politics, and the influence of these ideas on American liberals in the twentieth century. The second part of the course examines whether democracies are less war-prone in their relations with other states. The third part of the course examines the effects of democratic institutions and liberalism on the foreign policies of the United States and its role as a great power. The final part of the course examines the prospects and problems of promoting democracy and liberalism around the world. Seminar. Requirements: midterm exam, final exam and a 8- to 10-page paper. No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 25. Preference given to political science majors. International Relations Subfield

Hour: SILVERSTONE