Democracy and Representation (MSc)
About the programme
In this specialisation you will focus on the challenges facing modern representative democracy. The programme offers a structured, intensive curriculum balancing substantive and skills-oriented courses, including a number of elective seminars, plus a research thesis.
Understanding democratic challenges
You specialise in the current, real-world challenges that modern democracies face, such as fragmentation, polarisation, the rise of populism and democratic backsliding. You will get a deep understanding of the theories that explain functioning of representative democracy, and the empirical reality of political representation today. You learn how political parties, politicians and governmental organisations are dealing with the challenges they are facing in an increasingly complex environment. How can we design democratic institutions that are both open and robust? With this kind of knowledge and understanding, you can later fulfil political or civil service jobs, advice NGO’s or companies on their political strategy or work as a political journalist.
State-of-the-art in Political Science, academic and professional skills
Furthermore, you will work on your academic and professional skills, as well as acquaint yourself with the state-of-the-art in Political Science. The elective seminars cover almost all political science subdisciplines, so you can focus your education on the topics most relevant to you. Under certain conditions, doing an internship is an option. A research thesis, covering a topic of your choice, and written under personal supervision of our academic staff, completes the programme.
Wouter Veenendaal: courses address real world themes
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This specialisation is particularly relevant for students who are interested in the functioning of modern representative democracy and wish to gain a deeper understanding of how these systems work, how current challenges affect them and how we can study this as political scientists. You will get a deeper understanding of a variety of methods political scientists use to study these developments, including comparative case study research and quantitative analysis.
Personal contact
All courses are taught in small groups, allowing for personal contact with your fellow students, as well as your instructors.
All Political Science master’s specialisations
› International Organisation
› International Politics
› Nationalism, Ethnic Conflict and Development
› Dutch Politics
› Democracy and Representation
› Political Theory: Political Legitimacy and Justice