2024: Our Year of Living Electorally

• Week 1: Electoral systems and why they matter
  Typically, our understanding of elections extends no further than a rough knowledge of the elections we participate in the most often: our own. However, Canada’s use of the single-member plurality (first past the post) electoral system is only one option among a startling array of electoral systems. We begin by outlining the main electoral systems, their characteristics, and the benefits and flaws of each.
• Week 2: Taiwan (January 13)
  Taiwan’s elections are closely observed not so much for what they mean for the Taiwanese people but for the significance the elections have for regional stability, especially China-U.S. relations. We will look back at the elections to explore their impact on this important part of the world.
• Week 3: Indonesia (February 14)
  Indonesia’s elections are important not least because Indonesia represents the world’s third-most populous democracy, after India and the U.S. The real reason to revisit Indonesia’s election, though, is to see the level of enthusiasm and engagement displayed by voters. In our Canadian context of declining voter participation, the excitement and vitality that attended Indonesia’s election is exhilarating.
• Week 4: India (April-May)
  India, the world’s most populous democracy, is one of the main elections to watch, as Prime Minister Modi and his Hindu nationalist BJP party seek a confirmation of his dominance over India’s politics. This is a highly scrutinized election as it pits the BJP-led NDA against the newly formed INDIA alliance. The election for its legislative body, the Lok Sabha, is complex, with 543 seats to be determined.
• Week 5: South Africa (May 29)
  It is a challenge to choose just one election in the vast continent of Africa, where no fewer than 12 elections are slated for 2024. Senegal, the Sahel and the Horn of Africa all see significant elections this year. South Africa’s elections are especially interesting, as the ANC, the party that led the transition out of apartheid in 1994, faces stiff competition from rising opposition parties.
• Week 6: The United States (November 5)
  While the U.S. election is superficially a contest between two candidates (the identity of whom should be confirmed by the time we discuss this case study), the wider implication of the Republican Party’s support of a forthrightly autocratic candidate offers an opportunity to explore the challenge to democracy arising from authoritarian leaders.

By the end of the course, you should be able to:

• Recognize the variety of electoral systems used around the world
• Understand the main principles of democratic elections
• Consider the significance of five elections to regional and global politics
• Appreciate the challenges and threats to democracy currently emerging around the world

• Participation in Zoom lectures
• Participation in written discussions with other students
• Academic and non-academic articles, and other online resources
• Reflective essay (applicable only to certificate students)

No textbook is required. We will provide all course materials online.