Universität Wien

210144 SE M11: Forschungspraktikum: Understanding De-Democratization (engl.) (2024S)

12.00 ECTS (4.00 SWS), SPL 21 - Politikwissenschaft
Prüfungsimmanente Lehrveranstaltung

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Details

max. 35 Teilnehmer*innen
Sprache: Englisch

Lehrende

Termine (iCal) - nächster Termin ist mit N markiert

  • Donnerstag 14.03. 11:30 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 (H2), NIG 2.Stock
  • Donnerstag 21.03. 11:30 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 (H2), NIG 2.Stock
  • Donnerstag 11.04. 11:30 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 (H2), NIG 2.Stock
  • Donnerstag 18.04. 11:30 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 (H2), NIG 2.Stock
  • Donnerstag 25.04. 11:30 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 (H2), NIG 2.Stock
  • Donnerstag 02.05. 11:30 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 (H2), NIG 2.Stock
  • Donnerstag 16.05. 11:30 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 (H2), NIG 2.Stock
  • Donnerstag 23.05. 11:30 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 (H2), NIG 2.Stock
  • Donnerstag 06.06. 11:30 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 (H2), NIG 2.Stock
  • Donnerstag 13.06. 11:30 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 (H2), NIG 2.Stock
  • Donnerstag 20.06. 11:30 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 (H2), NIG 2.Stock
  • Donnerstag 27.06. 11:30 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2 (H2), NIG 2.Stock
    Hörsaal 42 Hauptgebäude, 2.Stock, Stiege 7

Information

Ziele, Inhalte und Methode der Lehrveranstaltung

Aims of the seminar
There is wide agreement, within and without the academy, that democracy is under severe threat. New authoritarian and “illiberal” forces are said to attack and, when in power, gradually erode democratic institutions across the world. While Samuel Huntington in the early 1990s charted a “third wave of democratisation,” political scientists have recently spoken of a “third wave of autocratisation.” The 2023 report by the Swedish Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Institute, the institution that has created the currently most widely-used democracy index, indeed observes that “In a decade, the level of democracy enjoyed by the average global citizen has deteriorated to levels last seen in 1986 – more than 35 years ago.”

How can we make sense of these developments? This in-depth, research-oriented seminar addresses this timely and pressing question, equipping students with a good sense of the major debates and controversies in the field. The seminar divides into four parts. The first part (“foundational texts and critical reflections”) engages with the foundational texts in this emerging field of study, and critically reflects on some of the core concepts used, notably the notion of “democratic backsliding.” The second part (“measurement”) deals extensively with the most influential index for measuring the quality of democracy, the V-Dem index, exploring its conceptual foundations, coding strategy and use of empirical indicators. The third part (“cases, actors and mechanisms”) looks at a variety of different explanations for why de-democratization occurs, ranging from authoritarian parties’ hegemonic strategies to citizens’ attitudes about democracy to the influence of supranational and international agents on domestic democratic development. Finally, the fourth part (“remedies”) asks how de-democratization might be halted, examining proposals such as the strengthening of “democratic resilience” in fragile political systems. Throughout, the seminar connects cutting-edge scholarship in comparative politics with related debates in legal studies and political theory, taking a distinctly interdisciplinary approach to de-democratization

Art der Leistungskontrolle und erlaubte Hilfsmittel

Seminar presence and participation (students must not miss more than one session): 10% of the grade
• Four reflection papers on the readings: 12% of the grade (short papers raising two to three questions about the readings with an explaining paragraph, to be posted at noon the day prior to the class on Moodle)
• A literature review of the foundational texts (2000-2500 words): 13% of the grade
• A group project on a measurement-related assignment, to be discussed in class (3000 words) (Draft paper should at least have a research question, state of the art section, research design section): 15% of the grade
• An outline of a final research proposal on a de-democratization related topic: 15% of the grade
• Final research proposal (5000 words): 35% of the grade, to be submitted after the final session
Please note that written assignments might be checked for plagiarism using the Turnitin software

Mindestanforderungen und Beurteilungsmaßstab

See above

Prüfungsstoff

See above

Literatur

Please note that a detailed reading list will be on moodle.
Indicative reading:

Bohle, Dorothee, Béla Greskovits, and Marek Naczyk. 2023. “The Gramscian Politics of Europe’s Rule of Law Crisis.” Journal of European Public Policy, 1–24.

Diamond, Larry 2021. “Democratic regression in comparative perspective: scope, methods, and causes.” Democratization 28 (1): 22-42.

Ginsburg, Tom, Aziz Z. Huq. 2022. “The Pragmatics of Democratic ‘Front-Sliding’.” Ethics & International Affairs 36 (4): 437-53.

Khaitan, Tarunabh. 2019. “Executive aggrandizement in established democracies: A crisis of liberal democratic constitutionalism.” International Journal of Constitutional Law 17 (1): 342-56.

Levitsky, Steven and Daniel Ziblatt 2018. How Democracies Die, chap. 1. NY: Crown.

Lührmann, Anna & Staffan I. Lindberg. 2019. “A third wave of autocratization is here: what is new about it?” Democratization 26 (7): 1095-1113.

Samuels, David J. (2023) “The International Context of Democratic Backsliding: Rethinking the Role of Third Wave ‘Prodemocracy’ Global Actors.” Perspectives on Politics 21 (3): 1001-12.

Waldner, David and Ellen Lust 2018. “Unwelcome change: Coming to terms with democratic backsliding.” Annual Review of Political Science 21: 93-113.
Wolkenstein, Fabio. 2023. “What is Democratic Backsliding?” Constellations 30 (3): 261-75.

Zuordnung im Vorlesungsverzeichnis

Letzte Änderung: Mi 31.07.2024 12:06