Inequality and Democracy

Utrecht University

Inequality and Democracy

Yara Salman

Rutger Claassen

Michael Bennett

Instructors: Yara Salman

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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

57 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

2 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

97%

Most learners liked this course

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

57 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

2 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

97%

Most learners liked this course

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Assessments

24 assignments¹

AI Graded see disclaimer

Taught in English

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There are 6 modules in this course

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.

What's included

5 videos6 readings4 assignments1 discussion prompt

5 videos Total 32 minutes

1.0.1 Welcome to the course 5 minutes
1.1.2 Economic inequality around the world 7 minutes
1.2.1 Causes of inequality 7 minutes
1.3.1 When is inequality (un)just? 6 minutes
1.4.1 Inequality and Democracy: The road ahead 7 minutes

6 readings Total 80 minutes

1.0.2 About the course 10 minutes
1.03 Short survey 10 minutes
1.1.1 In this week 5 minutes
1.2.2 Case study: The rise of bosses pay in the USA 20 minutes
1.3.2 The fairness of inequality: a philosophical debate 15 minutes
1.5.1 Want more? 20 minutes

4 assignments Total 45 minutes

1.1.3 What about you? 30 minutes
1.2.3 Causes of inequality 5 minutes
1.4.2 Democracy at stake 5 minutes
1.3.3 Theories of justice: What do you know? 5 minutes

1 discussion prompt Total 10 minutes

1.4.3 Discussion prompt: Economic inequality and democracy 10 minutes

What's included

4 videos6 readings5 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt

4 videos Total 26 minutes

2.1.2 Private property as a legal construct 7 minutes
2.2.1 The business corporation as a legal construct 6 minutes
2.3.1 The superior efficiency of private property 8 minutes
2.4.1 Economic power and political power 6 minutes

6 readings Total 75 minutes

2.1.1 Property and corporations 5 minutes
2.2.2 The purpose of corporations: a historical tale 10 minutes
2.2.4 Friedman on the purpose of business 20 minutes
2.3.2 The corporation – efficiency and power 15 minutes
2.4.2 Cycles of economic and political power 20 minutes
2.5.2 Want more? 5 minutes

5 assignments Total 24 minutes

2.1.3 Private property – what it is(n’t) 5 minutes
2.1.4 The History of property 5 minutes
2.2.3 Do you know the business corporation? 5 minutes
2.3.3 It’s all about efficiency! 5 minutes
2.4.3 Some questions about power 4 minutes

1 peer review Total 60 minutes

2.5.1 Assessing corporate power 60 minutes

1 discussion prompt Total 10 minutes

2.2.5 Friedman right or wrong? 10 minutes

What's included

4 videos8 readings3 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt

4 videos Total 29 minutes

3.1.2 Defining democracy 7 minutes
3.2.1 Democracy for the common good 8 minutes
3.3.1 Property and power in history 5 minutes
3.4.1 Political inequality today 8 minutes

8 readings Total 81 minutes

3.1.1 In this module 5 minutes
3.1.4 Characteristics of real democracies 20 minutes
3.2.2 Plato against democracy 10 minutes
3.2.4 Democracy for intrinsic reasons 15 minutes
3.3.3 Their money or their rights 10 minutes
3.4.2 Economic elite domination 15 minutes
3.4.3 Why unequal turn-out matters 1 minute
3.5.2 Want more? 5 minutes

3 assignments Total 30 minutes

3.1.3 Basic ideas in democratic theory 5 minutes
3.3.2 Historical fixes 15 minutes
3.4.4 Political inequality in the UK and US 10 minutes

1 peer review Total 60 minutes

3.5.1 Why should the public have influence? 60 minutes

1 discussion prompt Total 20 minutes

3.2.3 Plato and you 20 minutes

What's included

4 videos6 readings4 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt

4 videos Total 26 minutes

4.1.2 An intro to campaigning and lobbying 7 minutes
4.2.1 The dominance of the rich 6 minutes
4.3.1 What are the arguments in favour? 7 minutes
4.4.1 Regulating campaign finance 6 minutes

6 readings Total 70 minutes

4.1.1 In this module 5 minutes
4.1.3 Lobbying and campaign finance around the world 15 minutes
4.2.2 Does campaign spending work? 15 minutes
4.3.2 Corruption and political inequality 15 minutes
4.4.3 Experiments with public funding 15 minutes
4.5.2 Reading: want more? 5 minutes

4 assignments Total 50 minutes

4.1.4 What do you know about campaigning and lobbying? 10 minutes
4.3.3 Lobbying and campaign finance: pro and con 5 minutes
4.4.2 Regulations where you live 30 minutes
4.2.3 Can you tell? 5 minutes

1 peer review Total 60 minutes

4.5.1 Lobbying: right or wrong? 60 minutes

1 discussion prompt Total 10 minutes

4.3.4 What to think about voters’ capacities? 10 minutes

What's included

4 videos5 readings4 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt

4 videos Total 29 minutes

5.1.2 Types of capital flight 7 minutes
5.2.1 The race to the bottom 7 minutes
5.3.1 Exposing secrets, closing loopholes 6 minutes
5.4.1 The capital flight trilemma 8 minutes

5 readings Total 55 minutes

5.1.1 In this module 5 minutes
5.1.3 Case studies 20 minutes
5.2.2 The impact of capital flight 15 minutes
5.3.2 Getting rid of tax havens 10 minutes
5.5.2 Want more? 5 minutes

4 assignments Total 45 minutes

5.1.4 Classifying capital flight 5 minutes
5.2.3 Consequences of capital flight 5 minutes
5.3.3 The financial secrecy index 30 minutes
5.4.2 Responding to real capital flight 5 minutes

1 peer review Total 60 minutes

5.5.1 Capital flight: apply your knowledge 60 minutes

1 discussion prompt Total 10 minutes

5.4.3 Sovereignty, democracy, or globalization? 10 minutes

What's included

4 videos10 readings4 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt

4 videos Total 29 minutes

6.1.2 Property-owning democracy 7 minutes
6.2.1 Workplace democracy 9 minutes
6.3.1 Common property regimes 6 minutes
6.4.1 A theory of transformation 7 minutes

10 readings Total 108 minutes

6.1.1 In this module 5 minutes
6.1.3 Thomas Paine’s agrarian justice 15 minutes
6.1.4 Community wealth funds 15 minutes
6.2.3 Codetermination in Germany 10 minutes
6.3.3 The knowledge commons 7 minutes
6.3.4 Energy cooperatives 10 minutes
6.4.2 Pathways to an equal society 25 minutes
6.5.2 Want more? 5 minutes
6.6.1 Acknowledgements and Biographies 8 minutes
6.6.2 Final survey 8 minutes

4 assignments Total 63 minutes

6.1.5 Property-owning democracy 10 minutes
6.2.2 Case study: Mondragon 40 minutes
6.3.2 Basic concepts 5 minutes
6.4.3 Strategies for change 8 minutes

1 peer review Total 45 minutes

6.5.1 Your alternative economic institution 45 minutes

1 discussion prompt Total 10 minutes

6.2.4 The parallel case argument 10 minutes

Instructors

Instructor ratings

(16 ratings)

Yara Salman

Utrecht University

1 Course 19,077 learners

Rutger Claassen

Rutger Claassen

Utrecht University

1 Course 19,077 learners

Michael Bennett

Michael Bennett

Utrecht University

1 Course 19,077 learners

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Utrecht University

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Reviewed on May 23, 2021

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