Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL3184: Politics of Semidemocratic and Authoritarian Countries

This module descriptor refers to the 2016/7 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).