As the 21st-century unfolds, an undeniable trend in world politics is the persistence of authoritarianism as a regime type. After several decades of advance, democracy is now on the defensive in many countries, while new types of authoritarianism are consolidated. This class examines the phenomenon of the persistence of authoritarianism with a focus on two leading cases: Russia and China. The class takes a long-term perspective from their communist roots to their contemporary forms. Along the way, we sample various comparative politics theories to compare and contrast the two cases, including: reform and revolution; personality cults and terror; politics of economic development; reconfiguration of contemporary authoritarianism. Finally, the class examines the challenges to the established global order posed by the Russian-Chinese partnership.
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