Democracy and Dictatorship

Catalog description

Over the past twenty years, there has been a well-documented erosion in the quality of democracy around the globe. Through a survey of the fundamental attributes of democratic and non-democratic forms of government, we endeavor to understand why some countries have adopted democratic norms and institutions while others continue to struggle under various types of authoritarian rule. We begin the semester investigating the major characteristics of democratic regimes. In short, what makes democracy work? Next, we will consider how democracies are sustained through economic development, formal institutions, and political culture. Part III prompts us to identify internal threats to democracy (including, but not limited to) political polarization, disinformation, and elite power grabs. As this is a course in Comparative Politics, which largely focuses on political phenomena within states, external threats to democracy (interstate war, climate change, terrorism) will have to be considered elsewhere. The penultimate section focuses on major non-democratic regime types such as personalist dictatorships, electoral autocracies, military dictatorships, and totalitarianism. The final part of the course considers pathways out of authoritarianism, examining the effects of domestic protests and global civil society on democratization. Throughout the course, we will apply theoretical knowledge to our study of specific case studies, notably, the Philippines, Turkey, Thailand, North Korea, Belarus, and Tunisia. During Week 6, we will engage in a democracy simulation whereby you will formulate strategies designed to counter an impending authoritarian power-grab by a democratically elected president. At the end of this course, you will have developed a clear understanding of democratic processes as well as the threats posed by anti-democratic forces. Most importantly, you will have constructed a new toolkit for supporting democracy at home and abroad. Successful completion of this course counts toward the Politics major/minor requirements.