Minicourses

Threats to Democracy at Home and Abroad
Dr. Jason Jordan, Professor and Chair of Political Science and International Relations
Drew University
5 Wednesday mornings, 10am-12pm (2 hours)
May 28, June 4, 11, 18 and 25

The dramatic expansion of democracy worldwide is perhaps the single greatest and most unexpected political phenomena in human history. In 1800, only a handful of countries could claim to have even minimally representative government, while today the majority of the people of the world live in countries classified as free and democratic. Despite these successes, democracy around the world is imperiled by a broad array of social and political forces including the rise of social media and AI, the increasing allure of anti-liberal populism, and the emergence of new authoritarian tactics of electoral manipulation.

This course examines the normative foundations of democracy, the factors that contribute to the emergence and healthy survival of democratic politics, and the new challenges faced by those who seek to promote and protect democratic governments.

The Romantic Era, Part 2, 1860-1914
Dr. Robert Butts, Maestro, Baroque Orchestra of NJ
5 Monday afternoons 1:30–3:00pm (1 ½ hours)
June 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30

The Romantic era extended through the early twentieth century. Composers continued to explore the ideas of the earlier period, expanding the emotional and artistic goals of intensity and personal expression. As the world moved towards more global awareness, increased ideas of nationalism, urbanization, and industrialization, the concert and musical theater worlds were at the center of everything. Verdi and Wagner set opera in new musical and dramatic direction, followed by the realism of composers at the turn of the century. Operetta vied with opera for attention and musical theater in America developed into primary entertainment. The symphony became standard for composers while the concerto continued as the most popular concert form. Chamber music grew in popularity, as did the importance of popular songs and dance.

As the century turned, new technologies impacted the arts, most significantly recording, broadcasting, and film. Composers of the period included Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Verdi, Wagner, Puccini, Strauss, Bizet, Gilbert & Sullivan, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, and early modernists like Schoenberg and Stravinsky.


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