In 2026, across the world, democracy is on shaky ground; democracy has many, many critics. But is this antidemocratic trend new? In this class, students will be introduced to key concepts in political theory while considering the following questions: What is democracy? And can democracy survive our current historical moment? This class will answer these questions by examining the history of political theory from Plato to the present day. In particular, the readings in the class will focus on citizenship, solidarity, the allure of antidemocratic movements, and the political thought behind antidemocratic politics today. Pairing classic readings in political theory alongside scholarly excerpts and real-world examples, this class will provide both an introduction to democratic theory and antidemocratic thought while also equipping students the tools to better understand our political moment.

Essentials

Course Title: POL 228 Democracy and its Critics

Professor: Michael Villanova (he/him)

Class time and location:

Office hours: By appointment (email me to set up a time) and after class

Email: [email protected]

About Me

My name is Michael Villanova, and I am a PhD student in political theory at the Graduate Center, CUNY. I was born and raised in New York and I did my undergraduate degree at City College. I have been teaching since 2022 and I enjoy educating CUNY students. My dissertation is on reactionary political thought and urban politics. Outside of the classroom, I am baking, running, watching movies, at an open mic, or chilling with my cat.

Funding and license

This course was created with support from the Open Knowledge Fellowship.

Democracy and its Critics © 2026 by Michael Villanova is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0