Mark Williams

The Future of U.S. Democracy
America’s democracy faces greater challenges to its functionality, legitimacy, and perhaps continuity than at any time since the Civil War. Anti-racism protests confront entrenched institutions, systemic racism, and legacies of the past. Populist leaders upend longstanding democratic norms and disparage democracy’s foundations. The pandemic threatens public health and the economy. Candidates contest the validity of election procedures, parties engage in voter suppression and disenfranchisement, and conspiracy theories—spread via social media—erode trust. Meanwhile, foreign actors exploit the same social media to sow disinformation and aid candidates of their choice. In this course we consider each of these challenges and debate whether and how they are changing democracy in America. (Pass/Fail)

9?11: Significance & Legacies
The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States killed nearly 3,000 people. Those attacks, in turn, generated two regional wars—in Afghanistan and Iraq—and a “global war on terror.” This course examines the 9/11 attacks from a number of angles. What factors helped produce them? What was their goal, how were they carried out, and why were they not prevented? How did 9/11 — and the US response to it — help shape (for better or worse) today’s world? Through readings, films, discussion and group activities we will examine the significance and legacies of 9/11. The course will culminate in a two-part conference in which all students will have a participatory role.