Restriction: Must be in Government & Politics Program.

The course will focus on dictatorial regimes, institutions and leaders in a comparative biographical, psychological and political perspective. What are the similarities in their goals, ambitions, plans? How do dictators use symbols to obtain mass support? What is the cult of personality and why do dictators need it? What is the role of ideology in inspiring modern dictators? What are the differences between authoritarian and totalitarian dictators? We will examine the cases of Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, Mao, Castro, Ceausescu, Mengistu, Putin.