USESEA047 Theory and Praxis of Opposition in Democratic and Non-democratic Regimes

Faculty of Public Policies in Opava
Summer 2015
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Petr Hušek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Petr Hušek, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Petr Hušek, Ph.D.
Institute of Central European Studies – Faculty of Public Policies in Opava
Prerequisites
Expert Knowledge:
Students are able to determine and define the basic theories that capture the term of "opposition" in democratic and non-democratic regimes, including basic variables and methods of analysis of this term in concrete examples of political regimes. They are able to explain the main differences between the meaning of the term opposition in democratic and non-democratic regimes.
Expert Skills:
Students are able, by means of applying adequate methods, to independently apply the theories of opposition on concrete examples of democratic and non-democratic regimes. They are able to critically assess expert literature dealing with the topic, to identify and evaluate key variables in the research in the given area.
General Competency:
Students are able independently to analyze the structure of political players in real political system and to assess their targets and relevance. They are able to critically analyze a given topic, to determine its main aspects and to look up and use adequate expert literature.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of the subject is to make students familiar with the theory of the term "opposition" as it occurs in political systems of both democratic and non-democratic character. The opposition represents one of the basic factors that affect the funcionality and stability of a democratic and non-democratic regime, whilst representing an inseparable systemic part in the former, and an undesirable unsystemic element in the latter. The content of the subject is capturing the development of theories that deal with the term "opposition", defining the key variables and basic differences between its conception and meaning in the two types of regimes. Another part of the subject is the analysis of existing methodological processes of analyzing the opposition and applying the theories of opposition on the concrete examples of democratic and non-democratic regimes.
Syllabus
  • 1. Basic terms of the opposition theory.
    2. The development of the theory of opposition - democratic regimes.
    3. The development of the theory of opposition - non-democratic regimes.
    4. Basic opposition variables in democracies - competition and arrangement.
    5. Basic opposition variables in democracies - concentration and distinguishing features of the opposition.
    6. Basic opposition variables in non-democratic regimes - integration and position in the system.
    7. Basic opposition variables in non-democratic regimes - political behaviour of the opposition.
    8. Methodology of the research of the opposition in democratic regimes.
    9. Methodology of the research of the opposition in non-democratic and hybrid regimes.
    10. Case studies of the opposition in democratic regimes.
    11. Case studies of the opposition in non-democratic regimes.
    12. Case studies of the opposition in hybrid regimes.
Literature
    required literature
  • HLAVÁČEK, P. Vymezení a struktura opozice v nedemokratickém režimu (disertační práce). Brno: MU, 2011. info
  • KUBÁT, M. Politická opozice v teorii a středoevropské praxi (vybrané otázky). Praha: Dokořán, 2010. ISBN 978-80-7363-285-4. info
  • BLONDEL, J. Political Opposition in the Contemporary World. Government and Oppositon. 1997, roč. 32, č. 4, s. 462-486. 1997. info
  • NOVÁK, M. Systémy politických stran. Praha: SLON, 1997. ISBN 80-85850-22-2. info
  • DAHL, R. A. (ed.). Regimes and Oppositions. New Haven - London: Yale UP, 1973. ISBN 0-300-01390-6. info
    recommended literature
  • HLAVÁČEK, P., HOLZER, J. Opozice v nedemokratických režimech. Vstupní poznámky k možnostem a limitum stávající teorie. Středoevropské politické studie, 2008, roč. 10, č. 1, s. 1-16. info
  • ŁABĘDŹ, K., MIKOŁAJCZYK, M. (eds.). Opozycja w systemach demokratycznych i niedemokratycznych. Krakow: Akademia Pedagogiczna im. KEN w Krakowie, 2001. ISBN 83-915370-0-5. info
  • IONESCU, G., MADARIAGA, I. D. Opposition - Past and Present of a Political Institution. Middlesex - Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1972. info
  • DAHL, R. A. (ed.). Political Oppositions in Western Democracies. New Haven - London: Yale UP, 1966. ISBN 0300094787. info
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
The course is also listed under the following terms Summer 2014, Summer 2016.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Summer 2015, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.slu.cz/course/fvp/summer2015/USESEA047