Political Science Prof. James D. Long is highlighted in UW News about an important and timely new course.
James Long stole the name of his new class — an irony that isn’t lost on him, considering the subject matter.
The name of the course, “How to Steal an Election,” is a nod to “How to Rig an Election,” a book that analyzes the methods the world’s despots use to stay in power. It’s required reading for the class, which Long designed and is teaching for the first time this quarter at the University of Washington.
“I want to set up for students why democracy is worth stealing and why it’s worth it for some leaders to try to cheat in an election,” said Long, a professor of political science. “It’s because the value for the people that win is so high and important. There are more elections today around the world than there have been at any point in human history, and yet there are still all these persistent threats to realizing the democratic gains from those elections. When they’re undermined or rigged, elections can make democracy a lot worse.”
Please link here for the full article.