Week 1: Introduction to Autocracy and Democracy
• Focus: How do economic, political, and cultural factors contribute to the rise of autocratic leaders?
• Article: "The Rise of Populist Authoritarianism" from The Atlantic.
Week 2: Vladimir Putin - Russia
• Focus: Putin's rise to power, centralization of authority, and opposition to Western liberal democracy.
• Article: still looking for article to insert
Week 3: Xi Jinping - China
• Focus: Xi’s consolidation of power, shift towards authoritarian governance, and the Chinese Communist Party's philosophy.
• Article: "Xi Jinping at 10 Years: The Man Who Changed China" from The New York Times.
Week 4: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan - Turkey
• Focus: Erdoğan's erosion of secularism, crackdown on dissent, and economic policies.
• Article: "Erdogan’s Way: The Rise and Rule of Turkey's Islamist Shapeshifter" from Foreign Affairs.
Week 5: Narendra Modi - India
• Focus: Modi’s populist appeal, economic initiatives, and Hindu nationalist agenda.
• Article: "How Narendra Modi Has Remade India" from The New Yorker.
Week 6: Viktor Orbán - Hungary
• Focus: Orbán's concept of "illiberal democracy," media control, and constitutional changes.
• Article: "Hungary's Viktor Orban wins with landslide in controversial election" from The Guardian.
Week 7: Donald Trump - United States
• Focus: Trump's challenge to traditional political norms, his economic nationalism, and polarization.
• Article: "Trump's Next Coup Has Already Begun" from The Atlantic.
Week 8: Rodrigo Duterte - Philippines
• Focus: Duterte's war on drugs, authoritarian tendencies, and impact on civil liberties.
• Article: "The Duterte Dissonance" from South China Morning Post.
Week 9: Abdel Fattah el-Sisi - Egypt
• Focus: Sisi's military background, crackdown on dissent, and economic reforms.
• Article: "Sisi’s Decade: The Making of a New Egypt" from Carnegie Middle East Center.
Week 10: Bashar al-Assad - Syria
• Focus: Assad's brutal suppression of opposition, and the role of foreign intervention.
• Article: "The Assad regime's business dealings in Syria" from Financial Times.
Week 11: Kim Jong-un - North Korea
• Focus: Kim’s leadership style, nuclear ambitions, and information control.
• Article: "Kim Jong Un's North Korea: Life inside the totalitarian state" from Washington Post.
Week 12: Nicolás Maduro - Venezuela
• Focus: Maduro's authoritarian measures, economic mismanagement, and humanitarian crisis.
• Article: "Maduro’s Grip: Power, Gold, and the Future of Democracy in Venezuela" from The New York Times.
Week 13: Alexander Lukashenko - Belarus
• Focus: Lukashenko's authoritarian practices, the 2020 election crisis, and suppression of opposition.
• Article: "Belarus: Looking East, Looking West" from Carnegie Moscow Center.
Week 14: Course Wrap-Up and Future Trends
• Focus: Review of common themes and distinctions among the studied leaders.
• Article: "Can Democracy Survive?" from Foreign Affairs.