Democratic Theory and the New Undergraduate Political Science Major

In their annual indices of democracy and freedom around the world, Freedom House and The Economist Intelligence Unit show increasing numbers of authoritarian governments and illiberal democracies, as well as backsliding among liberal democracies. To counter these trends, the APSA Rethinking Political Science Education project’s Final Report states that the undergraduate political science major should promote civic and political engagement. This paper attempts to situate the Final Report’s assumptions and aspirations within the realm of democratic theory. What animates the report is a vision of a participatory, multiracial democracy. Empirically and normatively, this is a tall challenge. Democratic theorists have cautioned against mass political involvement, and few successful multiracial democracies exist. At the very least, we argue, political science education should clarify the values at stake and make a case for democratic purpose, at the same time promoting awareness of the tensions and paradoxes surrounding democracy.