This seminar explores the characteristics and dynamics of non-democratic regimes: how and why they come about, what sustains them, why some people resist and others do not, and how and why they decline and fall. There are no formal methodological prerequisites for this course. However, during our journey through autocracy we will encounter a variety of approaches, including formal, large-N statistical, small-N qualitative, and narrative. Some of the readings may employ techniques with which you are not familiar. We will not spend lots of time on methods per se, but you should consider those readings notice that you will eventually have to get up to methodological speed to understand cutting-edge research. In any case, you should try to do the best you can for whatever level of methodological training you have.