London School of Economics

The course is concerned with theories of democratization and case studies of democratic transformations during the so-called “third wave” of democratization from the 1970s to the present. The course analyzes processes of transition and consolidation of democracy and of democratic reversal in the context of globalization. Students study the concept of democracy, theories of transition to democracy, democratic consolidation and hybrid regimes and the crisis of liberal democracy. They focus on the condition of democracy in different regions of the world, including Southern Europe, Africa, Turkey, South East Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Eastern Europe.

The objective of the course is to explain the core debates in International Development, and to review potential policy interventions at global, national, and sub-national levels. The approach adopted in the course draws from political science and international relations, with a focus on political economy. 

This course examines modern developments in macroeconomic theory and offers fresh perspectives on current macroeconomic challenges. The course is structured around key questions: What are the forces that drive long-term prosperity? What are the features of labor markets that make them special, and why does unemployment occur? How should households and firms make plans for the future? What are the consequences of high levels of government debt? What are central banks and how do they control interest rates? What are the functions of financial markets, and why are financial crises so violent? Why does economic activity fluctuate and what does austerity have to do with recessions? Can fiscal and monetary policy fine-tune the economy? 

In this course, students analyze the debates concerning the nature, causes, and effects of, and the alternative solutions to, the key natural environmental degradation and pollution problems faced by human societies. The course provides essential information, first, about the scientific foundations for much environmental concern and, secondly, a social-science perspective on that science, identifying how it is communicated and employed in areas of environmental governance. The course provides both a grounded discussion of physical changes underlying some key environmental debates, and an introduction to approaches from social science concerning the governance implications of environmental science. Students explore the role of science in environmental understanding and governance through a combination of lectures, classes, and practical environmental monitoring.

The course poses questions about the importance of human rights relative to other good and values; the supposed "universality" of human rights; the troubled relationship between international human rights law and national law; the effectiveness of the regional and global protection of human rights; and the relevance of human rights in a world of stark global inequalities, mass migration, and rapid climate change.