3.00 Credits
Why do kingdoms rise and fall? Why do some countries become democracies while others linger in authoritarianism? Why do some new democracies survive while others slide back to authoritarian rule? Throughout the semester we will explore the academic studies that help answer these questions. But foremost among understanding regime change and democratization is recognizing that it occurs simultaneously at many different levels. It is the people in the streets, the rulers in the palace, the rice or wheat or corn in the fields. It is the military and the palace advisers, the other rulers around the world, and the unique era in which the revolution occurs.all at the same time. Regime change is a story about the centuries old struggle for survival, for freedom, and for power. It is a song of subjects and citizens, a struggle between the rulers and the ruled. This is a real-life game of thrones.Dual listed with POLS 5260. Cross listed with INST 4260. Prerequisites: 9 hours of political science or international studies including POLS 1200, or POLS 1250, or POLS 2310, or permission of instructor.