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PSCI 450Kings, Generals and Tyrants: Politics of Authoritarianism

Units
0.50
Faculty
Arts
Subject
Political Science

When it runs

  1. F24
  2. W25
  3. S25
  4. F25
  5. W26
  6. S26
  7. F26
  8. W27
  9. S27

Ran in 0 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: not on the schedule. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.

What is the difference between non-democracies like China, hybrid regimes like Russia, one-party states like Singapore, patrimonial and personalist states in Africa or military dictatorships in Latin America? This course examines the dictator's playbook and how political power is structured in authoritarian regimes in a quest to attain absolute power and keeping it for as long as possible. Students will learn how to draw the main argument from a text, formulate critical responses to existing claims, and analytically interpret political contexts of authoritarian regimes as written in current scholarship, and visually presented in film.

Prerequisites

  • Students must be in level 3A or higher

Antirequisites

None listed.

Leads to

No course lists it as a requisite.

Reviewed on UW Flow

100% liked it75% easy100% useful

From 1 rating and 1 comment on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.

  • This is a very interesting course. It is difficult, there are between 3 and 5 academic articles to be read per week for the 3 hour seminars; you have to do them to stand a chance of getting by in seminars! Yet, the readings are engaging and well-selected, dealing with a key authoritarian theme each week. The prof is excellent and very engaging and helpful if you have done the readings and engage with class discussions. A presentation is needed at some point in the term but this is actually quite fun if you prepare well enough. For someone willing to to reading and participate heavily in class, this is the perfect 400-level class.

    Dec 2022 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026

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