N.B. Course descriptions are subject to change
Admission requirements
Admission to the Master International Relations. Other students who are interested in this course, please contact the co-ordinator of studies.
Description
We are witnessing a resurgence of violent authoritarianism. In Putin’s war in Ukraine; in Xi’s mass internment of Uyghurs; and in General Min Aung Hlaing’s violent coup in Myanmar. In the US, the reelection of Trump on a platform of unconstrained power and the repression of minorities, has induced scholars to warn for authoritarianism. Also, violent non-state actors such as ISIS or the RSF forces in Sudan, not only govern like authoritarian regimes, but their leaders face the same challenges that other authoritarian elites do. Upon close inspection, authoritarian politics drives global conflict and violence. And yet it remains poorly understood by analysts and policy makers alike.
Perhaps you will change that. In this course, you’ll get the opportunity to engage with state-of-the-art research on authoritarian politics, conflict, and violence. You’ll learn how the insecurities of authoritarian elites lead them to initiate conflict and mass violence. You’ll examine the inner workings of authoritarian regimes to understand how authoritarian elites build coalitions and personalize power. And you’ll understand how authoritarian politics drives global conflict and mass political violence, such as war, civil, war and genocide.
To deepen our understanding of authoritarian politics, we will study elite rivalry in an authoritarian regime of your choice. The final assignment is a research paper on a topic of your choice that examines authoritarian politics and/or its relation to mass political violence.
Course objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
- Recognize and classify authoritarian regimes;
- Reflect on the differences and commonalities of authoritarian regime types;
- Reflect on the complex nature of the authoritarian environment, its politics, and the role of state and non-state actors therein;
- Explain the violent nature of authoritarian regimes;
- Explain the particular relationship between authoritarian politics and mass political violence, such as war, civil war and genocide;
- Conduct supervised research on authoritarian politics and violence.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Lecture, seminar style discussion and supervised research.
Assessment method
Prepare the pre-assigned readings prior to each class, and participate fully in the discussions. You should bring the readings to class;
Submit research assignments related to the study of authoritarain politics and mass political violence;
Submit a proposal for a research paper, which contains: research question or hypothesis; a outline, and a preliminary bibliography;
Submit a research paper that aims to contribute to knowledge with respect to authoritarain politics and mass political violence. The research paper will only be graded if the student has attended the seminars.
Weighing
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average.
Resit
The resit is only available to students whose mark of the final examined element is insufficient.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
To be announced
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Huizinga
Remarks
Not applicable