AUTHORITARIAN POLITICS AND INSTITUTIONS
Introduction to scholarship on authoritarian regimes and institutions, the most prevalent type of government throughout history. Deals with the conceptual and operational differences between authoritarian and democratic regimes. Discusses autocrats' 'menu of manipulation' to maintain power and minimize both external and internal threats. Focuses on tools such as establishing legislatures, holding elections, controlling the dissemination of information, and power-sharing with political opponents as well as the regime allies. Discusses dictators' strategies to alienate the opposition and to hold power while minimizing external threats from the public, the military, and/or disgruntled political elites. Discusses how and under what conditions autocrats instrumentalize women's rights and on democratic backsliding and the future of global governance.
Prerequisites & course information
Requisites: Graduate/professional standing Course Designation: Grad 50% - Counts toward 50% graduate coursework requirement Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Spring 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Differentiate between democratic and authoritarian regimes and become familiar with the different types of authoritarian rule. Audience: Graduate 2. Recognize how authoritarian governments exercise and maintain power. Audience: Graduate 3. Review sophisticated analytical frameworks and methodologies. Critique cutting-edge research in comparative politics and identify gaps in existing research. Audience: Graduate 4. Identify the intersection of authoritarianism and gender and the role of women in shaping political outcomes from a comparative perspective. Audience: Graduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Differentiate between democratic and authoritarian regimes and become familiar with the different types of authoritarian rule. Audience: Graduate 2. Recognize how authoritarian governments exercise and maintain power. Audience: Graduate 3. Review sophisticated analytical frameworks and methodologies. Critique cutting-edge research in comparative politics and identify gaps in existing research. Audience: Graduate 4. Identify the intersection of authoritarianism and gender and the role of women in shaping political outcomes from a comparative perspective. Audience: Graduate
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026-2027