Authoritarianism

Priority Reg: EPD Concentration. The vast major of human society has been governed by non-democratic regimes.  Today more than half the world’s people live in autocracies.  Many SIPA students come from countries whose governments are not democratic, and will work in the public sector where the regime is not democratic.  Yet almost all of the literature of political science on how policy is made is devoted to democracy—its genesis, stability, challenges, consolidation, processes, merits and flaws. How are we to understand the regimes we collect together as “non-democratic?”  Do the authoritarian regimes of the world have anything in common? Are there effective ways to understand how policy in made in the absence of the transparent and routinized laws and procedures associated with democratic regimes? And are democratic regimes, once installed, immune to breakdown or change into less transparent, routinized and accountable regimes? This course is designed to examine these questions, to probe the notion of “authoritarianism” as an analytical concept, to explore how we should approach the study of policy-making processes in regimes that are stable, enduring, sometimes even dynamic and enlightened, but not democratic, and to investigate how such regimes arise from or develop into democracies. Note: this course entails a heavy reading load, frequent written assignments and active and sustained participation in class discussions.  Students who do not have prior experience in English medium university-level coursework may find it difficult and they should consult with the instructor about how to manage the course requirements. Attendance is required; class sessions will not be recorded.