Enrolments for 2023 have closed.
Democracy in Retreat? Failed Transitions and the New Authoritarianism
Undergraduate | LTU-POL2DEM | 2023
Course information for 2023 intake View information for 2024 course intake
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Entry requirements
- Prior study needed
- Duration
- 12 weeks
HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Democracy in Retreat? Failed Transitions and the New Authoritarianism
About this subject
1. Demonstrate an understanding and critical evaluation of contemporary global trends in democratisation.
2. Identify and explain the international and domestic factors, actors and institutions influencing processes of political change and continuity.
3. Critically evaluate key scholarly debates about the successes and failures of democratisation and democracy promotion
4. Apply debates about democratisation and new authoritarianism to real world political contexts.
5. Construct an academic argument based on research employing primary and secondary research.
- • The debate over the 'democratic recession'.
- • Democracy promotion.
- • Democratisation and the rule of law.
- • The dangers of populism.
- • Democratising post-conflict societies.
- • Competitive authoritarianism.
- • Civil society and uncivil society.
For many commentators, the end of the Cold War heralded the impending triumph of democratic governance on a global scale. A quarter century later, optimism has given way to pessimism. This course seeks to explain why democratisation has often failed to produce durable democratic institutions. How have authoritarian regimes responded to the challenges posed by pro-democracy uprisings and Western democracy promotion? Does democratisation resolve or exacerbate ethnic conflict? How is the success of democratisation influenced by the nature of institutions like the military, the judiciary, political parties and the media? Is culture or religion an obstacle to democracy? Drawing on case studies from regions such as Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia, this course answers these and other questions as it introduces students to key concepts and debates in scholarship on democratisation and the new authoritarianism.
- Written tutorial engagement exercises (500 words) 4 short critical comments, 2 in response to the readings, 2 in response to the lecture. Submit in hard copy in 6 of 12 tutorials & serve as the basis for the student's contribution to class discussion. (15%)
- First Argumentative Research Essay (1700 words) (40%)
- Second Argumentative Research Essay (1800 words) Students will be required to state how they applied the feedback from the Research Essay in this exam essay. (45%)
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Entry requirements
Others
Prerequisites: Students must have completed 30 credit points of Level one subjects.
Additional requirements
No additional requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
What to study next?
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
UndergraduateLAT-BUS-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-TEC-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-ART-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-PYS-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-CYS-DEG
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