Power & Politics: real-world & fictional government

Taught by Joe Packer

More information: morgan.packer@uexternado.edu.co

«Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely» Lord Acton

The societies we live in and our individual lives are defined by those who have power. Governments have control over many aspects of our lives. So, how do you obtain power? How does power work? Which form of government is best?

In this course you will explore the discourse of Government and Power, including varied and interesting fictional versions, to understand how they work and evaluate what makes a good or bad government or leader.

The topics studied will include:

• Different types of governments (democracy, monarchies, autocracies etc)
• Case studies of different governments throughout history
• Romantic Theory vs Pragmatism (Communism/Socialism/The American Dream)
• Reality vs Fiction
• Fictional governments in movies and series
• Power Dynamics
• Elections & Campaigning
• Propaganda (style/message over substance)
• Majority Rule vs Minority Rights (balance of power)
• Difficult decisions – morality vs the right decision

Assessments will include a presentation on a fictional government/power structure, debates and evaluated discussive/opinion essays.

Upon completion of the course, you will have developed many of your soft skills in English such as debating, giving presentations and listening. Moreover, you will improve your technical vocabulary on the topic enabling you to have detailed and interesting discussions with both native speakers and your peers.