“Has Trump gone global? In a word: yes. America isn't the only country in the West experiencing political upheaval. Recent events suggests something amiss in the West. With the election of Donald Trump in the US, and Brexit in Great Britain, politics in the West has taken on a reactionary mood, and these are only the places in which it's achieved a measure of success. Reactionary politics, a style of politics in which the historically dominant cultural group seeks a return to its past glory, seems to have also taken root in Austria, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, to name but a few other locales in which it's taken root. This seminar will examine why such politics are sweeping the West, but not before we learn about the history of such movements in the US and Europe. We then discuss competing theoretical explanations for these kinds of movements: populism, nationalism, fascism, reactionary conservatism. What, in other words, explains the rise of Trump, as well as competitive right-wing movements in Europe?
The course takes place in Berlin, the capital of Germany. Not only is Berlin the social and political capital of Germany, it also served as the heart of the Third Reich, perhaps the most well-known right-wing movement in the past century. At present, the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) is the chief political threat on the German right. We will meet with various elected officials, visit political agencies and grassroots movements, and take a tour of the German parliament.
Humboldt University, one of Germany’s most prestigious universities, located in the heart of Berlin, will serve as home base. UW has a long-standing arrangement with Humboldt that allows us to use classroom space and access to the internet at Humboldt’s campus.”
The application deadline has passed, but we could accept candidates on a case-by-case basis if we think they are a strong fit. At this point, however, we don’t expect any more applications.
The dates of the program this year are June 21, 2019 to July 21, 2019.