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Liberal democracies such as Australia are founded on the idea that power is ultimately in the hands of the people, with each citizen having an equal say in government decisions. Although legal voting rights have been extended to women and ethnic minorities, there remains a great deal of inequality in the extent to which each person is able to influence government decisions. In this course we compare the ideals of democracy to the realities of politics in Australia and internationally.

In this course you will analyse and critically examine political arguments in order to come to informed opinions about the state of Australian democracy and proposals to improve it. There is a strong focus on developing skills in critical thinking, ethical research, and academic writing. We consider the power of businesses and the wealthy to influence government through lobbying, the power of communities and social movements to have their voices heard, and the ways in which social media and other information technologies have changed the nature of democratic participation and political power.