Democratisation
Module Code: PO8009
Module Name: Democratisation
- ECTS Weighting: 5
- Semester/Term Taught: Hilary
- Module Personnel: Lecturer - Professor Christian Houle
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
- Describe and analyse of the emergence, survival and breakdown of democratic regimes;
- Critically evaluate the relationship between democratic political institutions and economic and political development; and
- Demonstrate a mastery of academic research on the subject of democratization.
Module Learning Aims
By the end of the course students will be familiar with the conditions that promote and hinder democratization. They will also be aware of the academic research undertaken into these areas.
Module Content
This seminar examines the theoretical and empirical bases of arguments explaining why some countries become democratic while others remain autocratic. The seminar will be divided in two parts. First, we will discuss how democracy can be defined and measured. Second, we will look at the different theories of democratization. We will concentrate on theories that explain democratization using 1) economic development; 2) economic inequality; 3) resource wealth; 4) political culture; or 5) the international economic and political order.
Recommended Reading List
Przeworksi, A., M. Alvare, J. Cheibub and F. Limongi. 2000. Democracy and Development. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Putnam, R. 1993.
Making Democracy Work: Civic Tradition in Modern Italy. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Assessment Details
TBA
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