Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Democratization (Face-to-Face)

POLS 4300-01

Course: POLS 4300-01
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: PSCJ
CRN: 13562

Course Description

An examination of specific issues and topics in international relations including current crises and conflicts and their immediate effect on national politics and world affairs. This course varies in substantive content and may be repeated for credit. (Summer, As Needed) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Repeatable for Add’l Credit? Yes - Number of Times: 1 Registration Restriction(s): None

Required Texts

There is no textbook required for this course. All course readings will either be available online through SUU Libraries (a primer on how to navigate the digital course catalog will be included), or will be provided by the instructor. 

Learning Outcomes

Successful students will:
  1. Define and provide examples of democratization, liberalization, backsliding, competitive authoritarianism, and dictatorship;
  2. Explain the roles of institutions, leadership preferences, the international community, and civil society in a country’s liberalization;
  3. Learn how to evaluate empirical and theoretical arguments;
  4. Analyze cross-national democracy datasets;
  5. Apply theories of democratization to real countries via simulation and project work.

Course Requirements

Grading Policy


The final course grade will be determined based on the following breakdown:

  1. Reading Guides: 20% (4% each)
  2. Democratic Timeline Project: 30%
  3. Democratic Risk Profile: 30%
  4. Final Exam: 10%
  5. Preparedness: 10%

The final numeric grade will map to the final letter grade according to SUU’s standard number to-letter grade conversion scheme. Final grades ending in .5 or higher are automatically rounded up to the nearest whole percentage point.

Exams


To partially complete course objectives 1-5, there will be one final exam. This will be in-class, and the date is scheduled in the syllabus and on the SUU Final Exam Schedule. The format of the exam will be multiple choice and may include short essays and will include any material covered in class. A review day will precede the exam. Exam material will cover concepts, theories, and results from the readings, as well as material from the lectures and reading guides. 

Democratic Timeline Project


To partially complete course objectives 1-4, students will complete a timeline profile for a country of their choice. This project will involve the use of free-to-use data visualization software like Canva (tutorials will be given in class, no prior experience is necessary). Students choose a country and analyze key events leading up to a country’s liberalization. Students will identify major actors, institutions, and events that contributed to a democratic transition. Students will also focus on the liberalization period, highlighting constitutional construction, peace negotiations and concessions, and leadership. Submissions will take the form of a complete timeline and presentation. Additional guidance will be provided in class and on Canvas, and through posted rubrics.

Democratic Risk Profiles


To partially complete course objective 1-5, students will complete a risk profile for a country of their choice. This project simulates real risk profiles used by governments, private firms, and IGO/INGO’s around the world. This assignment replaces a traditional essay, giving students practical exposure to the roles of risk management and country profiling Students will make use of statistical visualization software like Tableau Public or Flourish (tutorials will be given in
class, no prior experience is necessary). This assignment will have students identify a country "at risk" of democratic backsliding, justifying their choice using risk indicators discussed in class. They then present indicators representative of democratic risk (e.g. expanding executive influence, weakening judiciaries, development and economic indicators, civil unrest, conflict, etc.). Additional guidance will be provided in class and on Canvas, and through posted rubrics.

Reading Guides


Students will complete several reading guides throughout the semester. These are guided questions designed to help students navigate the readings. Responses to each question will only need to be about 2 or 3 sentences in length. Responses will be due on the days marked in the course schedule. Each guide completed guide will be worth 4% of the final grade. A late penalty of 10% will be applied per day late.

Preparedness


Preparedness will be graded based on the students’ performance during daily “RNG of Destiny” questions. Daily questions will be pulled from the reading for that day, and a set of randomly-selected students will need to answer these questions. Students are guaranteed full preparedness points unless they are called upon during the daily questions and either a) fail to answer the question acceptably, or b) are absent without a university-approved excuse. Some students may never be called upon to answer a question, some students may be randomly-selected multiple times. Therefore, each student must come prepared, having done the reading, or risk losing preparedness points. Preparedness is worth 10% of the final grade. Additional instructions will be provided on the first day.

Course Outline

Week 1: Jan. 7-9: Course Intro 


Week 2: Jan 12-16: What are Democracies and Dictatorships?

  • Reading: Knutsen, Carl Henrik and Havard Mokleiv Nygard. 2015. “Institutional Characteristics and Regime Survival: Why Are Semi-Democracies Less Durable Than Autocracies and Democracies?” American Journal of Political Science. 59(3): 656–670.

Week 3: Jan. 19-23: What is Democratization?

  • Reading: Kuran, Timur. 1991. “Now Out of Never: The Element of Surprise in the East European Revolution of 1989.” World Politics.
  • Reading Guide 1 due Sunday, Jan. 25, 11:59pm.

Week 4: Jan. 26-30: Sources of democratization: Economy I

  • Reading: Geddes, Barbara. 1999. “What Do We Know About Democratization After Twenty Years?” American Political Science Review. Available on Canvas

Week 5: Feb. 2-6: Sources of democratization: Economy II

  • Reading: Svolik, Milan. 2013. “Learning to Love Democracy: Electoral Accountability and the Failure of Voter Coordination.” American Journal of Political Science.
  • Reading Guide 2 due Sunday, Feb 8, 11:59pm.

Week 6: Feb. 9-13: Sources of democratization: Social I

  • Reading: Chenoweth, Erica. 2020. "The Future of Nonviolent Resistance." Journal of Democracy
  • Democratic Timeline Visualization due Sunday, Feb. 15, 11:59pm.

Week 7: Feb. 16-20: Sources of democratization: Social II

  • Reading: Weingast, Barry. 1997. “The Political Foundations of the Rule of Law,” American Political Science Review, 91(2): 245– 63.
  • Reading Guide 3 due Sunday, Feb. 22, 11:59pm.

Week 8: Feb. 23-27:  Sources of democratization: International I 

  • Reading: Pevehouse, Jon C. 2002. “Democracy from the Outside-In? International Organizations and Democratization.” International Organization.
  • Democratic Timeline Report due Sunday, Mar. 1, 11:59pm.

Week 9: Mar. 2-6:  Sources of democratization: International II

  • Reading: Donno, Daniela. 2010. “Who Is Punished? Regional Intergovernmental Organizations and the Enforcement of Democratic Norms.” International Organization.

Week 10: Mar. 9-13: Spring Break

  • No class.
  • No assignments due.

Week 11: Mar. 16-20: Transition period: Transitional justice

  • Reading: Dancy, Geoff, and Oskar Timo Thoms. 2025. “Transitional Justice and the Problem of Democratic Decline.” International Journal of Transitional Justice. Available on Canvas.
  • Reading Guide 4 due Sunday, Mar. 22, 11:59pm.

Week 12: Mar. 23-27: Democratic backsliding I

  • Reading: Levitsky, Steven, and Daniel Ziblatt. 2018. "How Democracies Die - What History Reveals About Our Future." Chapters 4-5. Available on Canvas.

Week 13: Mar. 30-Apr. 3:  Democratic backsliding II

  • Reading: Bermeo, Nancy. 2016.“On Democratic Backsliding.” Journal of Democracy.
  • Democratic Risk Profile due Sunday, Apr. 5, 11:59pm.

Week 14: Apr. 6-10:  Democratic backsliding III

  • Reading: Haggard, Stephan, and Robert Kaufman. 2021. “The Anatomy of Democratic Backsliding.” Journal of Democracy.
  • Reading Guide 5 due, Sunday, Apr. 12, 11:59pm.

Week 15: Apr. 13-17: Presentations + Course Wrap-up

  • Apr. 13: Risk Profile Presentations Batch 1 
  • Apr. 15: Risk Profile Presentations Batch 2
  • Apr. 17: Risk Profile Presentations Batch 3

Final Exam

  • Thursday, Apr. 23: 11:00am - 12:50pm

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

 A late penalty of 10% per day late will be assessed for missing deadlines associated with the Reading Guides, Democratic Timeline, and Democratic Risk Profile Projects.

Make-up work for the Preparedness and Final Exam portions of the grade will not be accepted. 

Attendance Policy

Excused absences include documented illness, deaths in the family, and other documented crises, call to active military duty or jury duty, religious holy days, and official University activities. These absences will be accommodated in a way that does not arbitrarily penalize students who have a valid written excuse. Consideration will also be given to students whose dependents experience serious illness.

Class Policies

During Class


Students are responsible for planning ahead by checking the syllabus for upcoming readings and assignments. Students are responsible for all assigned readings. Therefore, it is imperative that students complete all readings and integrate them into the course as applicable. In addition, all students are responsible to contribute to a positive learning environment for fellow students. The instructor retains the right to ask a student to leave the classroom if the student is negatively contributing to the learning environment. Cellular phones going off in class are distractions that contribute negatively to the class setting - be sure to turn off your electronic devices at the beginning of each class period.

AI Policy

This course assumes that work submitted for a grade by students – all process work, drafts, brainstorming artifacts, final works – will be generated by the students themselves, working individually or in groups as directed by class assignment instructions. This policy indicates the following constitute violations of academic honesty: a student has another person/entity do the work of any substantive portion of a graded assignment for them, which includes purchasing work from a company, hiring a person or company to complete an assignment or exam, and/or using generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT). 

Syllabus Change Policy

Except for changes that substantially affect implementation of the evaluation (grading) statement, this syllabus is a guide for the course and is subject to change with advance notice. 

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.