blurb
Why do democracies facing similar policy problems often produce very different outcomes? This course is organized around that overarching question. Throughout the semester, we will examine how democratic systems translate ideas, demands, and conflicts into policy, and why those processes succeed in some contexts but stall or fail in others. We will study democratic governance comparatively, with particular attention to the United States alongside cases such as the United Kingdom, Germany, France. Each module, assignment, and scaffolded project is designed to help you build the tools needed to diagnose variation in policy outcomes, asking not only what policies exist, but why they emerge, persist, or change. Through reflections, debates, short papers, and applied projects, you will not only deepen your understanding of democratic governance but also practice the skills of critical analysis and persuasive communication—skills essential for engaging real-world democratic challenges.
selected student comments
The content of the course is the primary strength, regardless of if a student is in the major, I believe that it is important to take the class and be educated on the inner workings of democracies and the policy making process - M26'
I think this course is a good introduction to PPA and other categories like that. If you had no idea what PPA was or topics around it, this class did a good job introducing them - F29'
This course was very comprehensive in its scope. I feel we covered a lot regarding policy making and the democratic mechanisms that allow democracies to function. It also challenged me to work harder and think more critically about root causes and their impacts later on - M29'
It is very clear on what the goal of the course is from day one. The big question for the class serves as the key mechanism for all the assignments and readings which I found very helpful when drafting my final paper and completing projects and assignments - F29'
Dr. Orhan is a very fun & engaging professor, as well as fair. I enjoyed the wide range & variety of strategies used to practice & engage our learning on different levels as an individual & as a class - F29'
Cool new kinds of assignments and interesting data sets to work with - M29'
The course is very interesting and the content is very digestible. The professor is knowledgeable and makes the challenging content intuitive - M29'
Super interesting, good pace, helpful set up, manageable amount of work - F29'
This course encourages individual study and research - F29'
One of the more engaging lectures I have been a part of - M28'
Really well spread out deadlines and great freedoms to choose what to work on based on interests - F29'
This course was awesome. I didn't have interest in this topic beforehand, so I really didn't know what to expect. The format of this course was one of the best in my experience. It was very thoughtfully planned out and everything we learned and every assignment had a meaning to the overarching course goal. There are a lot of parts that go into policymaking and the way it was broken down made it easily digestible and I really enjoyed it as a student - F28'
It challenged my thinking a lot, it was like I had to rewire my brain to understand what we were learning. With the mechanisms and pushing my thinking past generalization - F29'
This course does a great job at breaking down real world issues into simpler ideas and helps understand them from a multitude of perspectives - F29'
Lots of discussion, fun professor, hands-on learning, engaging assignments - M28'
blurb
In this course, we explore global governance as the system of rules, institutions, and actors that shape how the world addresses common challenges. Together, we will examine how power and cooperation play out across issues like peace and security, trade, human rights, migration, climate change, and cybersecurity. Along the way, we will grapple with big questions: Who governs the globe? Why does cooperation succeed in some areas but fail in others? And what role should the United States play in this system? Through symposiums, memos, and structured debates, you will connect theories of global governance to real-world cases and practicing skills in analysis, and negotiation. My goal is for you to leave the semester not only with a deeper understanding of how the world is governed, but also with the tools to think critically, argue persuasively, and imagine solutions to the challenges of global interdependence.
selected student comments
I think the subject matter covering real world, current events is something very interesting and I had not really seen it before. It helps me, and hopefully other students, pay a lot more attention in class when the subjects are things that really matter today - M29'
This course helps one not to solely focus on America but the world at large, it helps you think for yourself, and understand the realities of the global world. Very easy to follow and keep track of the course materials till the end of the semester - F29'
Covers important global issues from new and refreshing perspectives. Everything is digestible and applicable, especially if someone hopes to continue on a similar path. There are also a lot of group activities and engagement - M28'
The organization and structure of the course were very strong. Very easy to follow, and each lesson built on top of the last very nicely - F29'
Depth of lectures, good projects, good professor, amount of topics covered - M29'
The strengths of this class are the way class is formatted. I like coming in with a question about the reading and then lecture on Monday and Wednesday and then and assignment or classwork on Friday. The weekly quizzes are also a great way to think about our readings. Also, I really appreciate that the reading quizzes are our multiple choice questions on the exams - F28'
I think the biggest strength of this course were the in-class discussions and group activities, it made me actively engage with the material. I think the assignments given were also very helpful in understanding the course material - F29'
The professor was extremely fair about the exams. I was never shocked with what was on it and I always felt prepared. Even though the presentations took a lot of time to prepare for, in the end, my public speaking skills greatly increased so it was totally worth it - F29'
The instructor was amazing, very energetic, very understanding, very easy to listen to in and outside of class. It made the course significantly more manageable - M28'
blurb
In this course, we explore political polarization as one of the defining challenges facing democracies today, focusing on the United States while also learning from examples around the world. Together, we will look at how polarization develops, the people and institutions that shape it, and how it influences governance, policy, and the way we live alongside one another. Using Denison as our shared “lab,” we will work with campus and community partners to better understand polarization and to imagine practical ways to bridge divides. You will have the opportunity to connect our classroom conversations to real-world initiatives, develop your own ideas, and contribute to solutions that strengthen our community. My goal is for each of us to leave the semester not only with deeper insight into polarization, but also with the tools and confidence to make a difference—in your own lives, in your communities, and in your careers.
selected student comments
Highly ambitious, project-based course. There was a huge amount of information packed into this course even before the presentation project. Very important subject matter, highly communication based course - M26'
The entire course was modeled around building a proposal, meaning we were working firsthand trying to build an effective policy while also learning at the same time. It was incredibly creative and engaging, since everyone had the same end goal - F28'
This course was easily one of my favorites that I've taken at Denison. It is unique in the sense that our class collaboratively worked toward the same goal throughout the semester of forming and then presenting a depolarization proposal, a task that warranted a lot of reading, brainstorming, trial-and-error, and out-of-class effort. Never have I been part of a class where our curriculum transferred into a real-life implementation of what we learned. The skills I gained from this class will carry me far: I learned causes of polarization and how it affects the environments around us, how to have constructive dialogue, how to handle disagreement, how to be an active participant of change, perspective-taking, and so much more. I enjoyed coming to this class every day, and I loved how our class bonded over working towards this goal. Dr.Orhan built an amazing classroom environment for us - F26'
The course is not only very timely but also really challenged its student to recognize the affective polarization within their own lives. The content of the course reshaped the way I view others, and their world more broadly, differently from myself - F27'
The project based structure of the course made the work feel meaningful, and I spent more time truly understanding the content so that I had the tools to apply it. It was also great to have the opportunity to pitch this to the president - F27'
We did a lot of readings that offered a very profound understanding of this topic - F27'
blurb
Why do some democracies endure while others erode or collapse? This course examines democracy not as a fixed ideal, but as a political system that varies across countries and over time, and one that can weaken, backslide, or break down. We begin by clarifying what democracy is and when it stops being democratic, then examine how democracy is measured, why countries democratized in the first place, and how democratic backsliding unfolds in practice. Drawing on comparative theory, empirical evidence, and real-world cases from around the world, the course focuses on identifying patterns of democratic vulnerability, strategic backsliding, and institutional decline. Rather than asking what democracy should be, the course emphasizes how democracy actually works, how it unravels, and whether alternative trajectories might have been possible. By the end of the semester, you will be equipped to analyze democratic change critically, interpret democracy data, and evaluate claims about democratic resilience and decline.
selected student comments
This is one of my favorite classes I've taken here, though part of that is I'm sure based on the prior interest I had in the subject - M27'
I'd recommend this course to anybody who's interested in comparative politics and wants to apply their learning to the current political climate of the world and the United States. Dr. Orhan is fantastic and I'm glad he's teaching at Denison - M27'
Dr. Orhan's courses are always extremely engaging and intellectually stimulating. What I really enjoyed about this particular course is that it had a group component to it, which allowed for every group to serve as a sort of case study for the larger issue at hand. As such, we learned about democratic backsliding not just as a broad concept, but through a series of real life examples - F27'
This course is intellectually challenging but also rewarding. Very interesting semester long project, something I've never done in another class - M28'
The course gives students the opportunity to directly engage with real world problems. It forces students to develop a very strong foundational understanding of democratic institutions norms and tendencies, as well as to explore how those things can backtrack to enable democratic erosion - M26'
Strong teaching, good class environment. It was nice to take one country and have that be the focus of the entire semester versus skimming the surface on multiple countries. The content is super interesting and helpful, and it has helped me articulate previous ideas about democracy that I've had but didn't know how to conceptualize - F27'
I really enjoyed the structure of this course where it was based around our counterfactual project where you go into depth on one particular country. On top of that the Yay-Nay discussions kept the class engaging and insightful - M26'
This course is excellent at letting students exercise their own discretion as to how they handle assignments. The end of semester project allows for students to form personal connections with scholars and each other - M27'
The course was very enjoyable and informative, and I took a lot from it. It was taught in a very interactive way which incentivized participation and collaboration. I learned a lot from my classmates as well as Dr. Orhan - M27'
The course uses a semester-long group project to reinforce class material. Groups are assigned 1 of 10 backsliding countries and are expected to research the current state of affairs, and identify what moments caused backsliding to occur. The course is discussion-based in general and Dr. Orhan promotes a strong learning environment - M27'
Dr. Orhan's course is exceptionally well-designed and caters to all kinds of students. His in-depth reading assignments and papers require thorough analysis and understanding of the subject, and his interactive in-class activities ensure retention of key concepts and ideas. Moreover, his activities outside class including professional interviews and presentations ensure the development of more important soft-skills that could help students career-wise as well - M27'
Being able to take a deep dive into a single country was very informative, and it gave me a lot of transferable information and skills that I could apply to other countries - M27'