Andrea Chandler
Speaker
Andrea Chandler is a retired Professor of Political Science who specializes in the politics of Russia, within the context of comparative and European politics. She was educated at Dalhousie University (BA Honours, 1984), Carleton University (MA, 1987), and Columbia University (MPhil 1990, PhD, 1992). Her particular areas of interest include the following: social welfare and politics in Russia; gender, identity and politics in Europe; comparative democratization and reform; and European politics. She is the author of three books, and has twice been a recipient of Standard Research Grant funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. She was the recipient of a Carleton University Research Achievement Award in 2017. In 2017, she was awarded a Research Stay for University Academics and Scientists scholarship from the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), which enabled her to visit Berlin, Germany in order to do research for her current project, Canada and Eastern Europe during the Cold War, 1945-1989: Politics of Democracy Promotion.
Fall 2026 Course: "Six Challenges to Contemporary Democracy"
Course Description
There has been much debate over whether liberal democracy is in decline in the 21 st century, particularly since Donald Trump was first elected President of the United States in 2016. Because of the power of the United States internationally, his presidency has had spillover effects, arguably emboldening anti-democratic leaders in other countries.
At the same time Trump’s authoritarian tendencies, while extreme, were not completely unique; the rollback of democracy was previously observed in countries such as Russia, Turkey, and Brazil. In this lecture series, we will examine six aspects of the debate over trends in democracy, each of which focusses on a contributing factor.
While democracy has clearly had a rocky history of late, any analysis of trends must include attention to developments that do not fit the pattern of democratic decline, and which may even point to a revitalization of democracy in some contexts. These developments include:
• The legalization of same-sex marriage in many countries, which was the result
of successful, organized activism by LGBTQ movements worldwide,
• Peaceful, democratic efforts to oust would-be authoritarian leaders in some countries, most recently the defeat of Victor Orban after sixteen years in power as Hungary’s Prime Minister,
• In countries such as France (Emmanuel Macron) and Canada (Mark Carney), relatively moderate leaders have been able to prevail over more exclusionary and combative forms of politics, at least for the time being.
Nevertheless, it is valuable for citizens and their elected leaders to be mindful of the serious challenges that confront liberal democracy, which cannot be dismissed. In the course, we will examine some of the influential authors and theorists who discuss these challenges from various perspectives, and consider their relevance for particular countries.
- Week 1: Defining Democracy: a Dissensus
- Week 2: Complications of 21st-century Elections
- Week 3: Deviations from Rule of Law: Discrimination, Impunity, Corruption
- Week 4: Capitalism and its Side-Effects
Week 5: Disinformation, Artificial Intelligence, and “Political Technology - Week 6: Inequality and Exclusion