A 2013 rally in front of the Supreme Court as justices were hearing cases on the Voting Rights Act. ("Protect the Voting Rights Rally at the SCOTUS." Photo by David Sachs / SEIU on flickr. CC BY-NC-SA.)
Instructor(s)
Prof. Christopher Warshaw
MIT Course Number
17.267
As Taught In
Fall 2013
Level
Undergraduate
Course Description
Course Features
Course Description
This course examines the functioning of democracy in the U.S. beginning with the theoretical foundations of democratic representation. It explores how the views of the public influence policy making. It also examines factors, such as malapportionment, that lead to non-majoritarian outcomes. Evidence on how well policy outcomes reflect public opinion is reviewed, and whether certain groups are over or under-represented in the policy process. Also discussed are reforms that might make our democracy more responsive to the American public.