Politics of East Central Europe

This course examines political change in East Central Europe — with limited discussion of Western Europe and Russia for comparison — from the Middle Ages to the present day. How are democracies created and why do they collapse? What is the relationship between democracy and capitalism? Why did early modern states take on such diverse forms, and what was the impact of these variations on subsequent trajectories of democratization and economic development? Did Eastern and Western Europe diverge politically and economically centuries ago, or is the idea of a longstanding east-west divide merely an artifact of Cold War geopolitics? Although we will read the work of historians as well as that of political scientists, this course is not a general survey of East European history; we will concentrate on (classic and more recent) theories and interpretations of state formation, democratization, and long-run growth. Accordingly, some prior knowledge of the broad outlines of European and global history is recommended, though not mandated.