POL 329 Authoritarian Politics

While particular attention is paid to democracies in the contemporary study of politics, most of the world’s population lives under non-democratic rule. This course introduces students to the complexity of the politics of autocratic states in comparative perspective. Emphasis is given to theories of elite decision-making, types of autocracies and institutions of political repression, the roles of the public, dissident organizations and political entrepreneurs, theories of repression, revolution and rebellion, and the behavior of autocracies in the international system. Special attention will be given to contemporary autocracies. Prerequisite(s): POL 200 or permission of instructor. 3 hour(s).