This seminar will explore the history, origins, and principal theories of democratic government and the role and meaning of the rule of law within democratic polities. We will scrutinize conflicting conceptions of democracy, threats to the emergence and survival of democracy, value tradeoffs within democracies, and the meaning of the rule of law within a democratic framework. Topics may include social contract theory; (U.S.) constitutional, parliamentary, and other forms of democracy; the economic, social, and cultural prerequisites for democracy; the role of social norms, ideology, and civic virtue; conceptions of the rule of law and individual rights within the framework of majoritarian government; the influence of disparate power and wealth; contemporary challenges, and the future of democracy. Current events will be woven into the curriculum and class discussion. NOTE: A limited number of students will be permitted to satisfy the upper-class writing requirement with this seminar. GRADING NOTICE: This class will not offer the CR/NC/H option. **A student who fails to attend the initial meeting of a seminar (designated by an (S) in the title), or to obtain permission to be absent from either the instructor or the Registrar, may be administratively dropped from the seminar. Students who are on a wait list for a seminar are required to attend the first seminar meeting to be considered for enrollment.