POLITICAL REGIMES AND REGIME TRANSITIONS

PSIR539

Course Code: PSIR539
Semester: -
Theory+Practice: 3 + 0
ECTS: 10

Course Type

Elective Course

Course Level

Master's Degree With Thesis

Year of Study

Semester

ECTS

Name of Lecturer(s)

Associate Professor Hakan Yavuzyılmaz

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, the students;

critically analyze different regime types from a comparative perspective
examine theoretical perspectives that analyze the dynamics of regime transitions toward democracy and autocracy
examine cases such as Hungary, Venezuela, Brazil, and Turkey within the framework of basic concepts and theories

Mode of Delivery

Face to face

Prerequisites

Recommended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Description

The aim of this course is to examine the different regime categories used in the field of Comparative Politics and to discuss the theoretical explanations of the processes of `democratization?, `democratic consolidation?, `democratic decline?, autocratization and authoritarian consolidation, which encompass the dynamics of transition between these regimes. The course consists of three different parts. The first part will focus on political regime typologies, while the second part will focus on the theories of regime transitions towards democracy and authoritarianism. In the last part of the course, the theoretical and conceptual frameworks will be discussed through comparative case studies of different countries.

Course Contents

WEEK	TOPICS
1^st Week	Introduction to the Course: What is a Political Regime?
2^nd Week	Democratic Regimes and Democratization
3^rd Week	The Concept and Dynamics of Democratic Consolidation
4^th Week	Authoritarian Regimes and Autocratization
5^th Week	Consolidation Dynamics of Authoritarian Regimes
6^th Week	Brazil
7^th Week	Brazil II
8^th Week	Venezuela I
9^th Week	Venezuela II
10^th Week	Hungary I
11^th Week	Hungary II
12^th Week	Turkey I
13^th Week	Turkey II
14^th Week	South Africa

Recommended or Required Reading

Bermeo, N. (2016). On democratic backsliding. Journal of Democracy, 27(1), 5?19.
Carothers, T. (2002). The end of the transition paradigm. Journal of Democracy, 13(1), 5?21.
Cassani, A., & Tomini, L. (2020). Reversing regimes and concepts: From democratization to autocratization. European Political Science, 19, 272?287.
Collier, D., & Levitsky, S. (1997). Democracy with adjectives: Conceptual innovation in comparative research. World Politics, 49(3), 430?451.
Geddes, B. (1999). What do we know about democratization after twenty years? Annual Review of Political Science, 2, 115?144.
Haggard, S., & Kaufman, R. R. (2021). Backsliding: Democratic regress in the contemporary world. Cambridge University Press.
Lawson, S. (1993). Conceptual issues in the comparative study of regime change and democratization. Comparative Politics, 25(2), 183?205.
Levitsky, S., & Way, L. A. (2002). Elections without democracy: The rise of competitive authoritarianism. Journal of Democracy, 13(2), 51?65.
Levitsky, S., & Way, L. A. (2005). International linkage and democratization. Journal of Democracy, 16(3), 20?34.
Levitsky, S., & Way, L. A. (2010). Competitive authoritarianism: Hybrid regimes after the Cold War. Cambridge University Press.
Linz, J. J. (2000). Totalitarian and authoritarian regimes (with a major new introduction). Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Linz, J. J., & Stepan, A. (1996). Problems of democratic transition and consolidation: Southern Europe, South America, and Post-Communist Europe. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Lührmann, A., & Lindberg, S. I. (2019). A third wave of autocratization is here: What is new about it? Democratization, 26(7), 1095?1113.
Mainwaring, S. (1992). Transitions to democracy and democratic consolidation. Comparative Political Studies, 25(3), 375?393. (Volume and issue assumed based on year)
Munck, G. L. (1996). Disaggregating political regime: Conceptual issues in the study of democratization (Working Paper No. 228). Helen Kellogg Institute for International Studies.
O?Donnell, G. (1994). Delegative democracy. Journal of Democracy, 5(1), 55?69.
O?Donnell, G., & Schmitter, P. C. (1986). Transitions from authoritarian rule: Tentative conclusions about uncertain democracies. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Schmitter, P. C., & Karl, T. L. (1991). What democracy is... and is not. Journal of Democracy, 2(3), 75?88.
Skaaning, S.-E. (2006). Political regimes and their changes: A conceptual framework (CDDRL Working Paper No. 55). Stanford University.
Svolik, M. W. (2012). The politics of authoritarian rule. Cambridge University Press.

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

Lecture
Discussion
Presentation

Assessment Methods and Criteria

	Quantity	Percentage (%)
Assignment	3	25
Project	1	50
Oral Exam	15	25
Total(%)		100
Contribution of In-term Studies to Overall Grade(%)		100
Contribution of Final Examination to Overall Grade(%)		0
Total(%)		100

ECTS Allocated Based on Student Workload

Activities	Quantity	Duration (Hour)	Total Workload (Hour)
Midterm exam
Preparation for Quiz
Individual or group work	14	5	70
Preparation for Final exam
Course hours	14	3	42
Preparation for Midterm exam
Laboratory (including preparation)
Final exam
Homework	3	45	135
Project	1	55	55
Total Work Load			302
Total Work Load / 30 (h)			10.06
ECTS Credit of the Course			10

Language of Instruction

Turkish

Work Placement(s)

Programme Qualifications / Learning Outcomes

	LO1	LO2	LO3
K1	X	X	X
K2	X	X	X
K3		X	X
K4	X	X	X
K5			X
K6	X	X	X
K7	X	X	X
K8			X