Electoral malpractices - theoretical and empirical questions

This course enables students to develop their knowledge of contemporary electoral malpractices . At the same time it gives them an opportunity to study the impact of the electoral malpractices on the political systems and political regimes.

This course enables students to develop their knowledge of contemporary electoral malpractices – both in terms of theory (typologies) and practice (cases of states with different political regimes). At the same time it gives them an opportunity to study the impact of the electoral malpractices on political systems and political regimes. The course is among others a part of dissemination activities within the research project “Between Fair and Rigged. Elections as a Key Determinant of the ‘Borderline Political Regime’ - Turkey in Comparative Perspective” carried out in the past at the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies, University of Warsaw.

Main reading:

Szymański A., Wódka J., Ufel W., Dziubińska A., Between Fair and Rigged. Elections as a Key Determinant of the ‘Borderline Political Regime’ – Turkey in Comparative Perspective, Peter Lang Verlag, Berlin 2020.

THEORY

Birch S., Electoral malpractice, Oxford University Press, New York 2011.

Gandhi J. and Lust-Okar E., Elections under authoritarianism, “Annual Review of Political Science”, 12, 2009, pp. 403–22.

Gilbert L. and Mohseni P., Beyond Authoritarianism. The Conceptualization of Hybrid Regimes, “Studies in Comparative International Development”, 46, 2011, pp. 270-297.

Morgenbesser L. Election in Hybrid Regimes: Conceptual Stretching Revived, “Political Studies”, 62, 2014, pp. 21-36.

Norris P., Why electoral integrity matters, Cambridge University Press, New York 2014, chapter 1 and 2.

Schedler A. (ed.), Electoral Authoritarianism: The Dynamics of Unfree Competition, Lynne Rienner Boulder and London 2006, chapter 1.

EMPIRICAL QUESTIONS

Bader M., Trends and patterns in electoral malpractice in post-Soviet Eurasia, “Journal of Eurasian Studies”, 3, 2012, pp. 49-57.

Carter Center, election mission reports (Nicaragua, Venezuela), www.cartercenter.org

Electoral Integrity Project - reports, www.electoralintegrityproject.com

ODIHR final reports on elections – selected countries, https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections

Student should:

Knowledge:

1. Be able to characterize elections and election laws in selected states.

2. Be able to define the role of elections in different political regimes.

3. Be able to define the concepts of electoral integrity and electoral malpractice as well as characterize their elements and types respectively.

4. Be able to identify different electoral malpractices in selected states.

Skills:

1. Be able to analyze the impact of electoral malpractices on elements of political system and political regimes.

2. Be able to analyze different types of electoral malpractices in comparative perspective.

3. Be able to use the specific English vocabulary concerning elections and electoral integrity/malpractice.

Social competences:

1. Be able to participate in elections with full understanding of electoral mechanisms.

Assessment depends on the fulfillment of the following requirement:

Writing successfully the final exam consisted of two open questions.

None