Module description
This module provides a comparative introduction to the topic of political authoritarianism. Authoritarianism, understood as non-democratic governance, is one of the main scourges of modern politics. Though there was a wave of democratisation following the collapse of the Soviet Union, authoritarianism has persisted in numerous guises, including the semi-authoritarian regimes that have developed in many of the so-called 'democratising' states. In gaining an understanding of contemporary authoritarianism, students will develop a more nuanced appreciation of the variety of different ways in which power can be exercised. The module will be of interest to those whose primary focus is on comparative politics, political economy, human rights, sociology and/or political history.
Assessment details
2,000-word essay (50%) & 2,000-word essay (50%)
Educational aims & objectives
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To understand the concept of authoritarianism and its principal sub-types
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To analyse how authoritarianism research is conducted
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To appreciate the factors that have contributed historically to the contemporary distribution of authoritarianism around the world
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To understand how the three main sub-types of authoritarianism function
Learning outcomes
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To demonstrate a command of the principal findings of research in the field of authoritarianism
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To evaluate critically the design and implementation of authoritarianism research
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To explore the determinants of authoritarianism in the contemporary world using relevant databases
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To conduct rigorous analysis using relevant research sources
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To advance reasoned and factually supported arguments in both written and oral formats
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To identify and locate scholarly works and other resources relevant to the study of authoritarianism
Teaching pattern
Provisional Lecture Schedule
Week 1: Introduction: Authoritarianism and democracy
Week 2: The development of authoritarianism in historical perspective
Week 3: Contemporary authoritarianism: distribution and trends
Week 4: Varieties of authoritarianism I: Single and dominant party systems
Week 5: Varieties of authoritarianism II: Military regimes
Week 6 Reading week
Week 7: Varieties of authoritarianism III: Personalistic and neo-patrimonial regimes
Week 8: Representative institutions and authoritarian systems
Week 9: The democratisation of authoritarian regimes
Week 10: The failure of democratisation in authoritarian regimes
Week 11: Aid, conditionality, intervention and international pressure on authoritarian regimes
Suggested reading list
Key Readings
Acemoglu, Daron and James A. Robinson, Economic Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy, Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2006
Brooker, Paul, Non-Democratic Regimes: Theory, Government and Politics, 3rd ed., Macmillan, 2014
Brownlee, Jason, Authoritarianism in an Age of Democratization, Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 2007
Jennifer Gandhi, Political Institutions under Dictatorships, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008
Levitsky, Steven and Lucan A. Way, Competitive Authoritarianism: Hybrid Regimes after the Cold War,
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.
Linz, Juan J., Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes, Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 2000
Svolik, Milan W., The Politics of Authoritarian Rule, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012