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Despite the wave of protests that swept through the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) between 2010 and 2012, and more recent upheavals in Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Algeria, Egypt, and Lebanon since 2019, many countries in the region continue to host authoritarian regimes. Political scientists studying the MENA have persistently explored the functioning of and the factors underpinning resilient authoritarianism for several decades. The primary aim of this course is to familiarize students with, and encourage critical engagement with, this dominant stream in the study of MENA politics. However, we will not overlook existing reservoirs of democratic politics that could pave the way for fundamental political change in the future.
The second aim of this course is to deepen students’ understanding of the concept and internal functioning of authoritarian regimes, as well as their appreciation of the fact that authoritarianism does not conform to a single prototype but involves distinct institutions and practices. To achieve this, each class will address a specific topic related to authoritarian institutions, strategies of retaining power, and opposition to authoritarianism. These include elections, courts, constitutions, politics in monarchies, women’s rights, minority politics, and opposition strategies. Each of the classes will explore one or two case studies from the MENA region (e.g., Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Iran, Turkey, Jordan, Kuwait, and Syria). The third aim of the course is to make students attuned not only to what is being researched but also to how this research is conducted, including considerations of the methods used and their rationale. To this end, we will thoroughly discuss one or two academic texts on the given topic each week. Consequently, this is a course for students who wish to read and engage actively, as the majority of classes will be structured around discussions of the assigned texts, with students taking an active role. By the end of the course, it is hoped that students will be able to discuss democracy and authoritarianism in the MENA region within a comparative perspective and will be better equipped to evaluate the methodological choices behind the research they engage with. While this is an MA level course, I’m happy to accommodate undergraduate students who take class preparation seriously. Poslední úprava: Jermanová Tereza, Ph.D. (05.09.2025)
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Your final grade will be based on three components:
Important notes:
Weekly takeaway exercise
In class, you will be asked to share your takeaway and/or your question, and we will use these as starting points for our discussions. When preparing, reflect on:
The aim of this exercise is to ensure you come to class prepared, while also helping you practice identifying the essence of complex arguments and asking critical questions — both crucial skills in (and outside of) political science.
Essay (approx. 2,000 words – word count does not include references/bibliography) “How do authoritarian regimes in the Middle East and North Africa actually function?” The essay should engage in a critical conversation with the assigned texts that we read during the term as well as with the debates that we had in the seminars. To do so, you are expected to apply theoretical arguments about authoritarianism to one case study in depth or to a small set of cases in comparative perspective. Your analysis should demonstrate how abstract concepts and theories illuminate specific empirical dynamics. You are encouraged to draw on empirical evidence such as:
In the introduction to your essay, you should define the concept of authoritarianism and explain how the regime(s) you are focusing on fit this category. Make sure you reference course material extensively while also bringing in additional sources to support your argument. Be critical and independent in your analysis: do the theories we read about capture what is happening in your chosen case(s), or do they fall short? Note on style: Essays should be written in Times New Roman (size 12) and the text should be fully justified (i.e. aligned to both left and right margin). Proper academic referencing (of your chosen style) and bibliography are expected. Remember that how you present your writing (both within and outside academia) matters. Poslední úprava: Jermanová Tereza, Ph.D. (18.09.2025)
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Seminar schedule The schedule is tentative and subject to change. There will be readings assigned for each seminar – please have them completed before class on the day for which it is listed in order to get the most out of the seminars. All the readings will be made accessible through the moodle site. 1. 30.9. Introduction to the course 2. 7.10. No class (I’m away for a conference) – but there will be a compulsory reading 3. 14.10. What is authoritarianism? How has the authoritarian landscape in the MENA shifted during the 2000s? 4. 21.10. No class (Public holiday) 5. 28.10. Institutions I: Elections and legislatures (Comparative / Kuwait) 6. 4.11. Institutions II: Monarchies (Jordan) 7. 11.11. Case of Syria I: Between authoritarianism and a transition to the unknown (with Anna Filipi) 8. 18.11. No class (Humanities Week) 9. 25.11. Case of Syria II. Minorities and authoritarian politics (with Anna Filipi) 10. 2.12. Institutions III: Constitutions (Iran) 11. 9.12. Opposition: Opposition strategies in autocratizing states (Turkey, with Pelin Ayan Musil) 12. 16.12. Legitimization: Women’s rights (Tunisia) 13. 6.1. Conclusion: What did we learn about authoritarian politics in the MENA? Is authoritarianism in the MENA special? What prevents democracy taking roots in the region? Poslední úprava: Jermanová Tereza, Ph.D. (18.09.2025)
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