A15. Top 24 Democracies in the World, and Why

This course attempts to answer why democracy is better than any other form of government by exploring the following top 24 democracies in the world according to the Democracy Index: Norway, New Zealand, Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, Ireland, Netherlands, Taiwan, Uruguay, Canada, Luxembourg, Germany, Australia, Japan, Costa Rica, United Kingdom, Chile, Austria, Mauritius, France, Spain, and South Korea. From geography to climate (with tips on travel), to demographics, to history to politics and government, to economy and culture (cuisine too), each country will be analyzed according to a variety of indexes on what makes a top democracy in the world.

Instructor - Paul Macek has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in both history and English. He has taught U.S. History and American Literature for over twenty-five years. He has also worked as a proofreader, copyeditor, indexer, translator, writer, and publisher for over thirty years. He is the author of seven books: one on education, two on literature (one of which was a translation), and four on American history.