4.8
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28 ratings

Yara Salman +2 more instructors

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Inequality and Democracy

Utrecht University

About this Course

6,060 recent views

Most countries are getting more and more unequal. But the core of democracy is political equality: that everyone should have an equal say in how their country is run. Can we really expect these things to go together? Can people have equal political power while economic inequality grows and grows? Take this course and decide for yourself.
You’ll learn about:
•	The rise of economic inequality
•	Property rights and the corporation
•	Democracy: Its value and history 
•	Campaign finance and lobbying
•	Tax avoidance and capital flight
•	Alternatives to our economic system

This is an interdisciplinary course combining:
•	Politics
•	Philosophy
•	Economics
•	History
•	Law

Our course is for anyone looking for an accessible introduction to these topics. You might a concerned citizen, or someone who works in a field like politics, media, education, government or law. The difficulty level is similar to the first-year of an undergraduate degree. No prior knowledge is assumed.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

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Beginner Level

No specialist background needed. A high school degree should suffice.

Approx. 20 hours to complete

English

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Skills you will gain

Economics
Political Science
History
Law
Philosophy

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Beginner Level

No specialist background needed. A high school degree should suffice.

Approx. 20 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructors

Instructor rating

4.75/5 (8 Ratings)

Offered by

Utrecht University

Founded in 1636 and located in the heart of the Netherlands, Utrecht University is one of Europe's leading research universities, recognised internationally for a high-quality, innovative approach to research and teaching. Studying at Utrecht University means studying at one of the world's best universities, with a total student body of around 30,000 students and 12 Nobel prize winners.Utrecht University offers over 90 graduate programmes (MSc, MA) and 12 undergraduate programmes (BSc, BA, LLM). All programmes are fully English-taught, and cover a wide range of academic disciplines including Natural Sciences, Law, Governance, Life Sciences, Humanities, Social Sciences and Earth Sciences.

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating97%(1,004 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

3 hours to complete

Economic inequality

3 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 32 min), 6 readings, 4 quizzes

5 videos

1.0.1 Welcome to the course4m1.1.2 Economic inequality around the world6m1.2.1 Causes of inequality7m1.3.1 When is inequality (un)just?6m1.4.1 Inequality and Democracy: The road ahead7m

6 readings

1.0.2 About the course10m1.03 Short survey10m1.1.1 In this week5m1.2.2 Case study: The rise of bosses pay in the USA20m1.3.2 The fairness of inequality: a philosophical debate15m1.5.1 Want more?20m

4 practice exercises

1.1.3 What about you?30m1.2.3 Causes of inequality5m1.3.3 Theories of justice: What do you know?5m1.4.2 Democracy at stake5m

Week2

Week 2

3 hours to complete

Property and corporations

3 hours to complete

4 videos (Total 26 min), 6 readings, 6 quizzes

4 videos

2.1.2 Private property as a legal construct6m2.2.1 The business corporation as a legal construct5m2.3.1 The superior efficiency of private property7m2.4.1 Economic power and political power6m

6 readings

2.1.1 Property and corporations5m2.2.2 The purpose of corporations: a historical tale10m2.2.4 Friedman on the purpose of business20m2.3.2 The corporation – efficiency and power15m2.4.2 Cycles of economic and political power20m2.5.2 Want more?5m

5 practice exercises

2.1.3 Private property – what it is(n’t)5m2.1.4 The History of property5m2.2.3 Do you know the business corporation?5m2.3.3 It’s all about efficiency!5m2.4.3 Some questions about power4m

Week3

Week 3

4 hours to complete

Democracy

4 hours to complete

4 videos (Total 29 min), 8 readings, 4 quizzes

4 videos

3.1.2 Defining democracy7m3.2.1 Democracy for the common good8m3.3.1 Property and power in history5m3.4.1 Political inequality today8m

8 readings

3.1.1 In this module5m3.1.4 Characteristics of real democracies20m3.2.2 Plato against democracy10m3.2.4 Democracy for intrinsic reasons15m3.3.3 Their money or their rights10m3.4.2 Economic elite domination15m3.4.3 Why unequal turn-out matters1m3.5.2 Want more?5m

3 practice exercises

3.1.3 Basic ideas in democratic theory5m3.3.2 Historical fixes15m3.4.4 Political inequality in the UK and US10m

Week4

Week 4

4 hours to complete

Lobbying and campaign finance

4 hours to complete

4 videos (Total 26 min), 6 readings, 5 quizzes

4 videos

4.1.2 An intro to campaigning and lobbying7m4.2.1 The dominance of the rich6m4.3.1 What are the arguments in favour?6m4.4.1 Regulating campaign finance5m

6 readings

4.1.1 In this module5m4.1.3 Lobbying and campaign finance around the world15m4.2.2 Does campaign spending work?15m4.3.2 Corruption and political inequality15m4.4.3 Experiments with public funding15m4.5.2 Reading: want more?5m

4 practice exercises

4.1.4 What do you know about campaigning and lobbying?10m4.2.3 Can you tell?5m4.3.3 Lobbying and campaign finance: pro and con5m4.4.2 Regulations where you live30m

Reviews

4.8

5 reviews

5 stars
85.71%
4 stars
10.71%
2 stars
3.57%

TOP REVIEWS FROM INEQUALITY AND DEMOCRACY

by VMay 23, 2021

It was very fun learning about this course, I urge people to take this course!

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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Inequality and Democracy

Inequality and Democracy

About this Course

Skills you will gain

Instructors

Yara Salman

Rutger Claassen

Michael Bennett

Offered by

Utrecht University

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Economic inequality

Property and corporations

Democracy

Lobbying and campaign finance

Capital flight and tax avoidance

Alternative economic institutions

Reviews

TOP REVIEWS FROM INEQUALITY AND DEMOCRACY

Frequently Asked Questions

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Inequality and Democracy

Inequality and Democracy

About this Course

Skills you will gain

Instructors

Yara Salman

Rutger Claassen

Michael Bennett

Offered by

Utrecht University

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Economic inequality

Property and corporations

Democracy

Lobbying and campaign finance

Capital flight and tax avoidance

Alternative economic institutions

Reviews

TOP REVIEWS FROM INEQUALITY AND DEMOCRACY

Frequently Asked Questions

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