This module is designed to examine one of the biggest challenges to democracy in the contemporary world: authoritarianism. First, we'll discuss what authoritarianism is and what the most common varieties of authoritarian regimes are. Then we'll go over the factors that drive politics in dictatorships and examine how these institutions can help explain the observed variation in autocratic government performance. Last, we'll look at the logic of autocratic regime survival and conditions under which democratic transitions are more likely to occur.
The module is meant to encourage students to think on their own while ensuring that their thoughts are coherent and logically sound. At the end of the class, students should be able to articulate answers to questions such as: What explains government performance, or lack thereof, in dictatorships? Why do non-democratic rulers govern with democratic institutions, such as legislatures and political parties?
- Module Supervisor: Rabia Malik