Join us for a friendly online taster lecture to support your current studies and find out what it might be like to study global development, politics or American studies at university.
Session time: Wednesday 16 October, 16.30-17.15
Political Scientist Juan Linz famously argued that democracy is at greater risk of collapse under presidential forms of government compared to parliamentary forms of government. According to Linz, “perils of presidentialism” include, for instance, the likely personalisation of power in the president; the risk of political polarisation as a consequence of the “zero-sum” character of presidential elections; and the mutual independence of parliament and government in presidential systems, which makes the resolution of conflicts between them more challenging. Linz regarded the USA as an exception to the rule, as it managed to sustain “high-quality” democracy under a presidential system.
In this online session, we will discuss whether recent events – including this year’s presidential elections – indicate that the USA is experiencing the “perils of presidentialism” after all. We will pay particular attention to the role of the Supreme Court as a potential check or instrument of the president’s power.
The session will be led by Olivia S. Hickman, Director of Study Abroad Programs at Mount Mary University (Milwaukee, USA); and Ulrike Theuerkauf, Associate Professor in Politics and Global Development at the University of East Anglia (Norwich, UK). Participants will be encouraged to contribute either via microphone or online chat throughout the session, as we will explore key concepts and theoretical arguments together. There will be an opportunity for further Q&A at the end of the session.
Suitable for: Key Stage 5, and equivalent, students studying or with an interest in studying Politics, Global Development, International Relations, American Studies and related subjects. Teachers and members of school staff, as always, are welcome too and participants can join as individuals from school/college or home, or as a group from school/college.
For details and to book your place, visit:
https://www.channeltalent.co.uk/event/us-politics-us-democracy-the-perils-of-presidentialism-with-ulrike-theuerkauf-from-university-of-east-anglia-olivia-s-hickman-from-mount-mary-university-usa/