Description
The decline in democratic quality in advanced democracies has become a global phenomenon. Several prominent cases of democratic decay have occurred under the rule of conservative parties, including Hungary, India, Poland, the United States, Israel, and Brazil. In these countries, establishment right-wing parties and their leaders have been associated with processes that reduce institutional oversight and constrain civil liberties. This course evaluates the link between the ideology of (radicalized) Conservatism this phenomenon of democratic decline.
Empirically, this course focuses on two case studies, countries previously analyzed as full democracies – Hungary and Israel – but now increasingly understood as competitive authoritarian regimes. We will explore how the ideology of their ruling Conservative parties influences their policies in a variety of fields, from national security to constitutional reforms, to country specific issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and asylum and immigration in Hungary. Methodologically, the course will introduce the method of argument analysis to investigate the relationship between the ideas of the political elite and their government agendas. It will suggest the Conservative ideology as a theoretical framework to understand mainstream right-wing parties and leaders, and will explore ways in which this ideology can get radicalized.
Course objectives
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to
Analyze arguments found in a variety of primary sources, critically evaluate their ideological content, and identify links to policy proposals.
Understand the relationship between far-right (radical, populist, illiberal, nativist) ideas and center-right, conservative ideas.
Understand, critically assess, and identify areas of comparison between different cases of democratic decay.
The students will also gain significant, advanced knowledge of the ruling governments of Israel and Hungary, as well as foundational knowledge on related topics from Israel/Palestine to the Hungarian Constitution.
Methods of Instruction
14 seminar sessions, and weekly office hours.
Reading List
The reading for this course includes both primary sources (legal documents; speech transcripts) as well as secondary sources about Conservatism, Israel, and Hungary. On the theory of radicalized Conservatism and the Israeli case, the main reading will be:
Cohen, Mateo I. Radicalized Conservatism in Israel: The One-State Ideology and Democratic Decay (Leiden University Press, 2025).
On the Hungarian case, mandatory reading will include:Cohen, Mateo I. "Radicalised Conservatism in the Hungarian Constitution." European Constitutional Law Review 20, no. 3 (2024): 424-450.
Enyedi, Zsolt. "Illiberal conservatism, civilisationalist ethnocentrism, and paternalist populism in Orbán's Hungary." Contemporary Politics 30, no. 4 (2024): 494-511.
Griffen, Scott. "Hungary: a lesson in media control." British Journalism Review 31, no. 1 (2020): 57-62.
Kövér, Ágnes, Attila Antal, and Izabella Deák. "Civil society and COVID-19 in Hungary: The complete annexation of civil space." Nonprofit Policy Forum 12, no. 1 (2021): 93-126.
Suuronen, Ville. "Antiliberalism and Counter-Enlightenment for the 21st Century: Viktor Orban's Illiberal Political Ideology." Government and Opposition (2025): 1-21.
Additional obligatory and voluntary reading will be announced on Brightspace
Assessment Method
Grades will be assessed based on:
In-class participation (15%)
A small assignment (short argument analysis, 15%)
An in-house midterm quiz (30%)
A final assignment (comparative argument analysis, 40%)
Registration
Students need to register for courses in MyStudymap. Please consult the course registration website for information on registration periods and further instructions.
Please note that there is limited capacity for this course.
Timetable
See 'MyTimetable'
Contact
Mateo Cohen
E-mail: i.m.cohen@fsw.leidenuniv.nl