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US Politics: US Democracy & The “Perils of Presidentialism” With Ulrike Theuerkauf From University of East Anglia & Olivia S. Hickman From Mount Mary University, USA

October 16 @ 16:30 - 17:15

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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.

 

Lecturer Profiles: Ulrike Theuerkauf & Olivia S Hickman


 

Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom, or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home. There is no charge to take part.

As a live, participative event, this session will not be recorded but access to the Headliner recording will continue to be accessible.

 

Suitable for: Key Stage 5, and equivalent, students studying or with an interest in studying Politics, Global Development, International Relations 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.

Preparation/Pre-Reading: Students may wish to consider the topic and discuss some of the key elements in advance. Students can also think about questions they have about studying at university level.

The IT Setup: The event will be run on Zoom and participants will be able to join using laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. If you are joining as a school group, we recommend connecting with one device and projecting on to a whiteboard. You will be able to interact with the university via a microphone and/or typed comments and questions. Full details will be sent to those who have registered (see below) prior to the event.

Booking a Place: This is free for schools and colleges. If you would like to take part in this event, please register your interest using the link to the registration form below:

 

Register here

Details

Date:
October 16
Time:
16:30 - 17:15
Event Categories:
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