Democratization (452-0-20)
Instructors
Edward L Gibson
Meeting Info
Scott Hall 319 ExperimentalLab: Wed 9:30AM - 12:20PM
Overview of class
The study of democracy and democratization has been a major field of scholarship in Comparative Politics and Political Science. In this seminar we will analyze ‘foundational' and contemporary theoretical debates about the meaning of democracy and how democratic regimes emerge and change. Topics will include debates about democracy and economic development, tensions between political order and democracy, nationalism and democracy, populist and liberal variants of democracy, and historical affinities between authoritarian and democratic practice in new and established democratic regimes. Recurring themes in the course will be the relative importance of leadership, institutions, and the international order for the emergence, quality, and strength of democratic regimes. Regionally the course will be global in scope, comparing historical and contemporary experiences across historical periods and world regions (including the United States).
Teaching Method
Seminar
Evaluation Method
Short weekly assignments, seminar discussion, and final paper
Class Materials (Required)
Most readings will consist of scholarly articles available on Canvas. While the book list is still being finalized, the book list will include the following books:
Robert Dahl, Polyarchy: Participation and Opposition. Yale University Press, 1971. ISBN: 9780300015652
D. Rueschemeyer, E. Stephens, J. Stephens, Capitalist Development and Democracy. Chicago University Press, 1992. ISBN: 978-0226731445
Juan Linz and Alfred Stepan, Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996. ISBN: 978-0801851582
Edward Gibson, Boundary Control: Subnational Authoritarianism in Federal Democracies, Cambridge University Press, 2013. ISBN: 9781139017992
Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way, Competitive Authoritarianism: Hybrid Regimes After the Cold War, Cambridge University Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-0521709156
Enrollment Requirements
Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for Graduate Students.