• Home
• Study
• Study Information
• Modules
• Module Information

Authoritarian Resilience in the Global South

Module description

This module explores mechanisms of authoritarian resilience in the Global South, a topic which is hitherto understudied, particularly in a comparative format. The module digs deep into internal and external aspects such as e.g., repression, goods provision, elections, development aid and security cooperation. One of the main strengths of the module is that, alongside the exposure to a wide range of perspectives on the study of authoritarian regimes, students will study cases from across the Global South thus gaining a better understanding of its nuances and complexities, which are often overlooked. This approach affords students the opportunity to get acquainted with a broad range of contexts and experiences, whilst simultaneously allowing those who wish to specialize on a particular region - whether Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia or the Middle East and North Africa - to do so in their assignment(s).

The module is suitable for non-specialist students and is recommended for interdisciplinary pathways.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module will introduce students to key concepts and theories relating to authoritarian resilience in the Global South, which is tremendously diverse. In some countries of the Global South, authoritarianism has always been the norm, in others it is a more recent phenomenon, and then there are the cases where authoritarianism has returned after a period of democratic rule. Furthermore, authoritarianism in the Global South is far from uniform. In some cases, authoritarian borders on totalitarianism, while in others instances authoritarian regimes are borderline democratic. Within this varied context, students will explore different mechanisms of authoritarian resilience - internal and external - including repression, goods provision, elections (rules and co-optation), development aid, security cooperation and non-Western re-alignment.  The module seeks to equip students with the tools to critically address authoritarian resilience in the Global South by exposing them to a range of perspectives and providing a diverse set of case studies from across Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East and North Africa.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the significance of authoritarian regimes on a global scale.
• 2. Critically examine and compare different authoritarian regimes and regime survival strategies in the Global South.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. Recognize the variety of authoritarian regimes in the Global South.
• 4. Display critical awareness of the various mechanisms of authoritarian regime survival, whether internal or external.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Conduct independent research, exercise critical judgement, and write clearly and persuasively.
• 6. Study independently and manage time and assessment deadlines effectively.
• 7. Demonstrate effective applied writing.

Syllabus plan

The syllabus may vary year on year, but is likely to cover the following key themes:

• What is authoritarianism?
• Repression
• Goods provision
• Elections: rules
• Elections: co-optation
• Development aid
• Security cooperation
• Non-Western re-alignment
• Essay workshop

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Case, William (ed.) (2010) Contemporary Authoritarianism in Southeast Asia: Structures, Institutions and Agency. London: Routledge.
• Cheeseman, Nic and Brian Klaas (2018) How to Rig and Election. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
• Glasius, Marlies (2023) Authoritarian Practices in a Global Age. Oxford: Oxford Univeristy Press.
• Hagmann, Tobias and Filip Reyntjens (eds) (2016) Aid and Authoritarianism in Africa. London: Zed.
• Pinheiro-Machado, Rosana and Tatiana Vargas-Maia (eds) (2023) The Rise of the Radical Right in the Global South. London: Routledge.
• Schedler, Andreas (ed.) (2006) Electoral Authoritarianism. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner.
• Levitsky, Steven and James Loxton (2018) 'Populism and competitive authoritarianism in Latin America', in Carlos de la Torre (ed.) Routledge Handbook of Global Populism. London, Routledge, pp. 334-50.
• Way, Lucan Ahmad (2023) ‘The Underappreciated Resilience of Today’s Autocracies’, Foreign Affairs 102, pp. 104-115.

Key words search

Authoritarianism, resilience, manipulation, Global South