Understanding Democracy: Historical and Comparative Benchmarks
Thursday, Oct 13, 2022
1:30pm - 3:00pm
Lecture by:
Dr. Jorg Broschek
What is democracy? In his famous Gettysburg Address delivered in 1863, US President Abraham Lincoln identified key dimensions of democratic governance as government of, by and for the people. Building on this basic working definition of democracy, this lecture will explore different models and concepts of democracy. Using illustrative examples, the lecture provides a historical and comparative introduction into the varieties of democracy. It addresses structural tensions inherent to democracy (e.g. between majority rule and minority rights), different social foundations (e.g. “mono-” versus “multi-national” democracies) and organizing principles (e.g. “consensus” versus “majoritarian” democracy). These benchmarks will serve as the basis for putting Canadian democracy into perspective: A multi-national federal democracy in the “Westminster” tradition that has proven to be remarkably resilient since its formal establishment in 1867. Based on this review, the lecture will conclude with a short discussion about the prospects of Canadian democracy in light of contemporary challenges.
About Dr. Jorg Broschek
Dr. Jorg Broschek
Jörg Broschek is Professor of Political Science and Laurier Research Chair in Multilevel Governance at Wilfrid Laurier University. He received his PhD from the University of Augsburg in Germany. Between 2013 and 2023, he held the Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Comparative Federalism and Multilevel Governance. Jörg is also a Fellow at the Balsillie School of International Affairs and he served as Board member and Secretary-Treasurer of the Canadian Political Science Association (CPSA) from 2021 until 2024.
Jörg’s research contributes to elucidate how governments address challenges that cut across political jurisdictions, requiring cooperation and creativity from multiple levels of government. This includes federalism, but also regional governance arrangements like in Waterloo’s two-tier system or larger entities like the European Union. His current research areas are economic policy (with a particular focus on trade and industrial policy) and transportation infrastructure policy.