| Dozent/in |
Alexander Geisler, PhD |
| Veranstaltungsart |
Hauptseminar |
| Code |
HS261642 |
| Semester |
Herbstsemester 2026 |
| Durchführender Fachbereich |
Politikwissenschaft |
| Studienstufe |
Bachelor
Master |
| Termin/e |
Do, 17.09.2026, 10:15 - 14:00 Uhr, HS 3 (Termine)
Do, 01.10.2026, 10:15 - 14:00 Uhr, 4.B01
Do, 15.10.2026, 10:15 - 14:00 Uhr, 4.B01
Do, 29.10.2026, 10:15 - 14:00 Uhr, 3.B55
Do, 12.11.2026, 10:15 - 14:00 Uhr, 4.B01
Do, 26.11.2026, 10:15 - 14:00 Uhr, 4.B01
Do, 10.12.2026, 10:15 - 14:00 Uhr, 4.B01 |
| Umfang |
2 Semesterwochenstunden |
| Turnus |
14-täglich |
| Inhalt |
This course provides a comprehensive exploration of democratic innovations—institutional reforms and non-traditional practices designed to improve the quality of democratic governance. As modern democracies are accused of facing a perceived "crisis of representation," characterized by declining voter turnout and eroding institutional trust, scholars and practitioners are increasingly turning to assessing the potential of new models of civic participation, and reforming old ones. This seminar evaluates these developments through four distinct thematic parts:
Part 1: Assessing the State of Democracy
We begin by establishing a diagnostic framework to measure democratic health. Students will engage with both objective indicators—such as electoral participation and party membership—and subjective measures, including perceived legitimacy and public satisfaction. This section asks: What specifically is "failing" in contemporary systems, and how do we quantify these deficits?
Part 2: Frameworks, Types, and Scope
This module introduces the theoretical foundations of the "deliberative turn" and discourse quality. We will categorize innovations based on their scale and intent, ranging from deliberative mini-publics and participatory budgeting to popular votes. Students will learn about public support for democratic innovations and effects on the involved and uninvolved.
Part 3: Comparative Case Studies
Moving from theory to practice, we learn about case studies of important institutional experiments. Key focus areas include the Irish Citizens’ Assembly, which paved the way for significant constitutional change, and the Citizens’ Initiative Review. We will critically assess their design, their impact on the broader electorate, and the inherent limitations of integrating such innovations into existing legislative structures.
Part 4: Democracy Beyond the State
The final section extends the democratic lens to firms and markets. We explore business cases of direct employee involvement, such as worker councils and cooperative decision-making models. By examining "economic democracy," we evaluate whether democratic principles can—or should—be applied to private-sector governance to foster more resilient social and economic outcomes.
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| Lernziele |
1. Students will develop a comprehensive understanding of objective indicators and attitudinal measures for assessing democratic quality, being able to comparatively assess the state of democracy across nations.
2. Students will gain insights into the types, scope, and theoretical foundations of democratic innovations.
3. Students will be able to critically analyze real-world case studies of democratic innovations, such as climate assemblies and participatory budgeting, and case studies like the Irish Citizens’ Assembly and the Citizens’ Initiative Review.
4. Students will enhance their skills in applying democratic principles to business contexts and presenting research in a clear, engaging, and critical manner. The main objective is that students will subsequently be able to develop their own research design based on connecting data sources introduced during the course. Throughout, exemplary research designs are introduced and applied to contemporary democratic challenges, with a focus on global and organizational contexts.
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| Sprache |
Englisch |
| Anmeldung |
***Wichtig*** Um Credits zu erwerben ist die Anmeldung zur Lehrveranstaltung über das UniPortal zwingend erforderlich. Die Anmeldung ist ab zwei Wochen vor bis zwei Wochen nach Beginn des Semesters möglich. An- und Abmeldungen sind nach diesem Zeitraum nicht mehr möglich. Die genauen Anmeldedaten finden Sie hier: http://www.unilu.ch/ksf/semesterdaten |
| Leistungsnachweis |
Essay / Aktive Teilnahme (Besuch des Seminars, Pflichtlektüre, aktive Mitgestaltung der Sitzungen: mündliche Gruppenpräsentation)
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| Abschlussform / Credits |
Referat, Essay, Aktive Teilnahme / 4 Credits
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| Hörer-/innen |
Nach Vereinbarung |
| Kontakt |
alexander.geisler@unisg.ch |
| Literatur |
- Claassen, C. and Magalhães, P. C. (2023) Public Support for Democracy in the United States Has Declined Generationally, Public Opinion Quarterly, 87(3): 719–732.
- Elstub, S. and Escobar, O. (2019) ‘Defining and typologising democratic innovations’, in S. Elstub and O. Escobar (eds.) Handbook of democratic innovation and governance, Edward Elgar. pp. 11–31.
- Lorenzoni, I., Jordan, A. J., Sullivan-Thomsett, C. and Geese, L. (2025) A review of National Citizens’ Climate Assemblies: learning from deliberative events, Climate Policy, 25(9): 1546–1562.
- van der Does, R. and Jacquet, V. (2023) Small-Scale Deliberation and Mass Democracy: A Systematic Review of the Spillover Effects of Deliberative Minipublics, Political Studies, 71(1): 218–237.
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