Course List

Is America living up to its democratic ideals? The United States was built on a promise of equality, yet economic, racial, and social inequality have only deepened in recent decades. This course investigates how and why the world's most powerful democracy has produced persistent inequalities, and what that means for our political future. We will take stock of where America stands today across healthcare, housing, education, and criminal justice, then trace the historical decisions that built the unequal landscape we now have. We will also consider how ordinary people understand inequality, how social movements push back, and if and how politicians respond.