Module ARA3107 for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
ARA3107: Politics of Semi-democratic and Authoritarian Countries
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
Introduction: types of authoritarian regimes (i.e. military rule, sultanistic rule, one-party, personalist rule); hybrid regimes; origins of authoritarianism
Internal politics of semi-democratic/authoritarian regimes: political economy of authoritarianism; elections under authoritarianism; redistribution, patronage, and welfare politics; informal institutions and civil society; Islam and authoritarianism
Legitimisation of rule: public goods provision; repression and order
Challenges to authoritarian rule: popular resistance; diffusion and breakdown; regime durability and collapse; transitions to democracy; authoritarian upgrading; succession and the transfer of power
Conclusion: discussion of contemporary movements for democratization; characteristics of authoritarian versus democratic regimes
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 44 | 256 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 44 | 22 x 2 hour seminars. You will need to complete all readings prior to seminar and be ready to participate. On some occasions you will be asked to make presentations. |
| Guided independent study | 256 | Reading and research; completing assignments; preparing for assessments. |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
Indicative Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
Basic reading:
Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way. 2005. The rise of competitive authoritarianism. Journal of Democracy, 13(2), 51-65.
Beatriz Magaloni. 2006. Voting for autocracy: Hegemonic party survival and its demise in Mexico. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Lily Tsai. 2007. Solidary groups, informal accountability, and local public goods provision in rural China. American Political Science Review, 101(2), 821-847.
ELE – http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/
