Conference on Non-Democratic Regimes

June 11th and 12th, Yale University
Sponsored by the Georg Walter Leitner Program in International and Comparative Political Economy. Conference Organizer: Alexandre Debs.

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This conference brings together researchers studying the politics of non-democratic regimes, including democratization, democratic breakdown and international conflict. More specifically, how do economic conditions affect popular support for a dictator and the transition to democracy? When do citizens protest against a dictatorship and when does a dictatorship respond with repression? When does a dictatorship allow for limited forms of political representation? What explains the post-tenure fate of dictators and how does it affect their propensity to democratize? Is the International Court of Justice a spoiler or promoter of democracy? Which non-democratic institutions are more likely to generate international wars? How do non-democratic institutions affect economic growth? What determines the consolidation or breakdown of young democracies? How does the targeting of groups or a populist rhetoric allow the leaders of weak democracies to avoid accountability? Presenters use a variety of methodology to tackle such a wide array of questions, including formal and quantitative methods.

Fields of Interest: Comparative Politics, Political Economy, International Relations