Autocratic Politics

Instructor(s): Mai Hassan

Course level: Undergraduate

Offered this Academic Year: Yes

Course term: Fall

Course number: 17.918

Course description:

Autocrats are in a precarious position – facing threats from the population who wants greater democratization and other regime elites who want to replace them. How do autocrats navigate these competing threats? After understanding the different nature of threats that autocrats face, we then move into the different ways that autocrats design their regimes to temper these threats including coup-proofing their security apparatus, coercing the population, and co-opting rival elites. We then move to cases in which (elements of) autocracy co-exists with elections.

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