INTS 423 The Rise of Authoritarianism

This course examines the global authoritarian turn across societal, national, and international levels, exploring how economic globalization, transnational technologies, judicial institutions, social media, and digital surveillance both facilitate and consolidate authoritarian power. Through an interdisciplinary approach, students connect theoretical frameworks with comparative cases from Western and non-Western contexts. By bridging theory and empirical analysis, they engage in structured dialogues that evaluate multiple scholarly perspectives and confront diverse political realities. Students gain critical insight into the mechanisms of authoritarianism, the interplay of popular support and polarization, and the challenges of democratic resilience in a rapidly changing world.