Much of human history took place under authoritarian rule. Even today, many authoritarian governments play important roles on the world stage. This course is designed to examine various important aspects in authoritarian regimes: their differences with democracies, why they emerge and break down, how they deal with challenges of leadership change, what institutions they adopt, why some dictatorships fail to create economic growth but some can, and the theories that explain these outcomes. During the course, we will use contemporary events, historical case studies, and statistical data to examine real-world cases. The goals of this course are to introduce students to the systematic study of authoritarian politics; to deepen their understanding of political changes, dynamics, and developments in non-democracies; and ultimately to help them critically assess theories about authoritarian politics and to engage in independent analysis of dictatorships in their academic or professional careers.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Critically evaluate key theories about authoritarian politics;
2. Analyze and compare evidence-based research from political science, economics, and history on authoritarian regimes;
3. Express a high level of mastery of authoritarian politics in written and oral forms;
4. Engage in critical theoretical and evidence-based discussion on authoritarian politics from a comparative perspective;
5. Be able to apply contending comparative theories on authoritarianism to historical and contemporary cases.

Required Resources

The required textbook is:

Svolik, Milan W. 2012. The Politics of Authoritarian Rule. Oxford University Press.

Recommended Resources

This course will also draw heavily upon several other books. You are not required to purchase them. All required and optional chapters will be posted on Wattle.

Brooker, Paul. 2000. Non-democratic Regimes: Theory, Government, and Politics. New York: St. Martin’s Press

Przeworski, Adam, Michael E. Alvarez, Jose Antonio Cheibub, and Fernando Limongi. 2000. Democracy and Development: Political Institutions and Well-Being in the World, 1950-1990. New York: Cambridge University Press. 

Acemoglu, Daron and James A. Robinson. 2005. Economic Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy. New York: Cambridge University Press. 

Bueno de Mesquita, Bruce, Alastair Smith, Randolph M. Siverson, and James D. Morrow. 2003. The Logic of Political Survival. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

All other readings will also be posted on Wattle.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Democracy and Dictatorship: Concept, Categorization, and Measures
2	Causes of Democratization and Authoritarian Breakdown
3	Personalistic Authoritarian Rule and Political Succession
4	Understanding Street Protests and the Pivotal Role of the Military
5	Media Control and Various Forms of Censorship	Short Essay (Book Review) Due
6	Origins of Coups and Military Dictatorships	Mid-term Participation and Book Review Marks Returned
7	Why Non-democracies Have Elections and When Frauds Take Place
8	Elite Power-sharing, Grassroots Co-optation, and Party Organization
9	Elite Co-optation, Sharing of Spoils, and Access to Information	Tentative Final Essay Topic Due
10	How Natural Resources Inhibit Development, Especially in Autocracies
11	Why Some Autocrats Promote Economic Growth
12	Rethinking Origins of Dictatorships: State Formation and Democratic Backsliding

Tutorial Registration

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Learning Outcomes
Class Participation	10 %	3,4,5
Oral Presentation of a Self-selected Piece of Reading	10 %	1,2,3
Book Review	20 %	1,2,3,4,5
Oral Presentation of a Case Study	20 %	1,2,3,4,5
Final Research Paper	40 %	1,2,3,4,5

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Extenuating Circumstances Application
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Class Participation

Students are expected to finish the assigned reading materials, attend seminars, participate in classroom discussion actively. They will be marked based on participation at the end of the semester. Marks are not given for simply attending.

Assessment Task 2

Oral Presentation of a Self-selected Piece of Reading

Before Week 2, students are expected to choose one piece of reading (a journal article or book chapters) that fits their interests. At the beginning of the corresponding weekly seminar, the student will provide a 10-minute oral presentation about that piece of reading, The oral presentation is supposed to cover the main motivations, theoretical argument, research method and empirical evidence (if applicable), and theoretical implications. In addition, the student is also supposed to raise a couple of critical questions related to the reading, which will motivate the classroom discussion.

Assessment Task 3

Book Review

Each student will choose one book from a list of 5-10 books, which includes biographies, non-fictions, and historical novels that involve authoritarian politics. Before the end of mid-term teaching break, each student is supposed to submit a critical and analytical book review that not only briefly summarizes the case of autocrat or autocracy in the book, but offers critical discussion about the narrative. A good example of a book review can be found in The Economist, Perspectives on Politics, and The New Yorker. As information transparency in dictatorships is often problematic, this book review focuses on the student's ability to distill useful and politically relevant information from primary or journalistic accounts. The review is due on 23 August and marks will be returned by 30 August.

Assessment Task 4

Oral Presentation of a Case Study

Between Week 10 and 12, each student is expected to choose a contemporary or historical authoritarian regime and give a 15-minute presentation (with slides). The presentation is supposed to cover key institutional facts about the regime, such as its origin and fall (or transition, if applicable), who holds the power and how the power is shared (if applicable), how the economy is run, whether it holds elections and why, how the regime controls the military, and etc from a comparative perspective.

Assessment Task 5

Final Research Paper

The student will choose one essay topic based on their interest and materials learned in the course. The word limit is 4,000 words. This assignment gives students an opportunity to explore their interested topics about comparative authoritarianism in greater details, demonstrating the student's overall ability to critically synthesize classic and cutting-edge research and conduct independent, evidence-based research. Students will have a one-on-one consultation with the course convenor and discuss their tentative essay topic by 30 October. The final paper is due on 10 November.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Access and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents all ANU students