210148 SE M9: Osteuropastudien (2019W)

To have an opportunity to choose their representatives in decision-making assemblies is usually seen as the ultimate symbol of democracy. In this regard the presence of a political alternative, e.g. ‘opposition,’ is important, if not crucial. The roles of both elections and opposition in non-democratic contexts, however, have proven to be different from those in democracies. This course explores what role(s) these institutions play in non-democracies and how this deviation affects regime stability or change.

The aim of the course is to develop the students’ knowledge about the roles and functions of opposition and elections in the post-Soviet states and provide them tools to independently analyze and evaluate ongoing developments in the area. During the seminar the students will problematize these complex dynamics using various social science concepts and theories. This entails critical engagement with academic approaches and debates on how elections contribute to strengthening authoritarian regimes as well as studies focused on elections as an instrument of democratization. It also features research specifically problematizing the concept of ‘opposition’ and its role in autocratic consolidation processes and regime survival beyond electoral cycles. The seminar provides the students’ with a better understanding of the relations between ‘opposition and state’, ‘opposition and society’ and ‘opposition and external actors’ in authoritarian states and the impact of these relations on regime change or consolidation. Additionally it will deepen their general knowledge about the regional and domestic political situation in the post-Soviet context.

The seminar will mainly consist of discussions and exercises in small working groups, and sometimes in the class as a whole, with the purpose of supporting the students to reflect and elaborate on the content of the literature. Prior to each session the students are provided a number of mandatory texts and different tasks in order to prepare for class.