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The Politics of Authoritarian Rule

Module description

Although 67 percent of the world’s population currently live in a country deemed either as “partly free” or “not free” by Freedom House, much of the scholarly literature in Comparative Politics has focused on democratic politics. The purpose of this module is to introduce you to, and familiarize you with, this neglected field: the politics of semi-democratic or authoritarian countries. The module begins with an overview of the different types of authoritarian regimes. We then discuss their internal politics such as the politics of redistribution and patronage, the role of civil society, and the presence of informal institutions. Examples are drawn from countries or regions across the world such as the Middle East, China, Russia, Africa, and Latin America. We also study contemporary popular resistance movements such as the Arab Spring, the supposed incompatibility between Islam and democracy, and attempts by leaders in countries such as China and Russia to “upgrade” their regimes in order to remain in power. 

Module aims - intentions of the module

The aim of this module is to introduce you to, and familiarize you with, the politics of semi-democratic authoritarian countries. You will not only study the different types of authoritarian regimes but also learn about their internal politics, popular resistance, and mechanisms that regime leaders employ to prevent democratisation.

This module also allows you to develop your critical analysis skills as well as your ability to communicate with others through module assignments, presentations, and class participation. These skills are important for employment in any field and sector. 

If you complete this module, you will also have a more informed understanding of politics in general and your ability to analyse political news will have been enhanced.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

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

• 1. Define and describe the different types of semi-democratic, authoritarian, and hybrid regimes and their characteristics in a competent manner;
• 2. Effectively explain the internal politics of semi-democratic and authoritarian regimes, especially the various methods these regimes use to gain legitimacy;
• 3. Discuss cogently the typical challenges to authoritarian rule and what current scholarly knowledge predicts with regard to their success;

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

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

• 4. Demonstrate the ability to effectively synthesize knowledge gained from both theoretical and empirical material;
• 5. Demonstrate the ability to evaluate research on relevant topics;
• 6. Demonstrate the ability to formulate scholarly arguments and ideas regarding politics;

ILO: Personal and key skills

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

• 7. Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively with peers and to convey ideas to an audience;
• 8. Demonstrate the ability to critically analyse texts and to competently offer own ideas and interpretation of texts; and
• 9. Demonstrate the ability to write cogently and to support ideas with logical argument and evidence.

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 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)

Re-assessment notes

Students in this module will be awarded 0.25% toward their final module mark for every class that they attend and are willing participants during class discussion – up to a maximum of 5 percentage points. This means that students should attend class and participate unless they have legitimate reasons for not doing so. If students miss class for legitimate reasons (i.e. sick, family emergency) then they will still be awarded the relevant percentage point(s) toward their final module mark. To attain a full participation mark for each class, students need to attend class and to contribute to class discussion by (1) speaking or (2) asking a question or (3) by submitting a question or comment via paper. Valid absences will be excused but absent students must submit feedback on reading(s) for that week. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, this assignment (minimum 100 words) is due by the time class starts. This assignment is not assessed; submitting it is sufficient. This scheme will exclude students whose ILPs suggest that attending class and/or participating is difficult. For these students, they will be awarded the relevant percentage points even if they miss more than two classes and/or do not participate. 

Indicative learning resources - 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.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

ELE – http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/

Key words search

politics, comparative politics, authoritarian, semi-democratic, hybrid regime, dictatorship