AUTOCRACY AND DEMOCRACY

With longstanding democracies in Europe and the US faltering, autocratic regimes in Russia and China consolidating, and hybrid regimes that mix elements of democracy and autocracy on the rise, scholars, policymakers, and citizens are re-evaluating the causes and consequences of different forms of government.  This course is designed to give students the tools to understand these trends in global politics. Among other topics, we will explore: How do democracies and autocracies differ in theory and in practice?  Why are some countries autocratic? Why are some democratic? What are the roots of democratic erosion?  How does economic inequality influence a country’s form of government? Is the current period of institutional foment different past periods of global instability?  This course will help students keep up with rapidly unfolding events, but is designed primarily to help them develop tools for interpreting and understanding the current condition of democracy and autocracy in the world.