This course will interrogate the history of democratic participation in the United States, with an emphasis on disparities in access to the ballot, racial discrimination, and violence, which continue to exclude voters from the franchise. We will start with an overview of the historical development of democratic inclusion, exclusion, and participation in the United States, and then focus on how social, political and economic institutions intersect with and inform this development. The second half of the course will focus on the ways that democratic participation in the United States is mediated and informed by the carceral state, the regulation of citizenship, political power, wealth, redistricting, and contemporary voter suppression efforts. The class will conclude with a discussion of current efforts to secure and expand voting rights in the United States, focusing on a selection of promising innovations, reforms, and movement building projects. Saturdays, October 6, 20, 27, November 3, and 10 from 3:00 - 4:30pm.
New York City, NY; NYC