course material

1. Task: Make an initial post and then respond to one classmate. Initial Post
(Prom
Task: Make an initial post and then respond to one classmate.Initial Post (Prompt A) (300+
words)(Prompt A)Would you consider the Arab Spring a fourth wave of democratization?
What factors do you think fueled the Arab Spring to have such success initially (Social
media, Culture, Economic Growth, etc.)? Additionally, do you agree with Huntington’s claims
in his article Democracy’s Third Wave (1991) that democracy’s survival is dependent on
culture and societal tradition? If not, what other factor do you think is more important to
explain recent democratization efforts?Response (150+ words)Respond to a classmate
using the reading, Elections Without Democracy: The Rise of Competitive Authoritarianism
(Levitsky & Way, 2002),their question was: can you think of any states today that can be
considered competitive authoritarian regimes In your selection, identify which of the four
minimum criteria the authors associate with democratic regimes outlined on page 53 is
missing from your chosen nation. Responses to your classmate should be constructed using
the reading to assess their response.Classmates response to respond to:Levitsky’s article
“Elections Without Democracy: The Rise of Competitive Authoritarianism” provides a very
interesting insight into how what the world views as a “democracy” or “democratizing” is
actually inherently authoritarian in nature, creating a sense that democracy is a growing
ideology when in fact many “democratic” regimes consistently violate the core principle of
democracy which include, free and fair elections, political rights and civil liberties, the right
to vote for all adults, and the authority of elected officials to govern. Levitsky argues that
states that violate one or more of these principles can be considered competitive
authoritarian regimes. A state currently in existence that can be considered competitively
autocratic is modern-day Russia. At first, Russia may seem/claim to be a democratic regime
due to the presidential elections that put Vladimir Putin in power in 2000, then again in
2012, but a close look reveals that the Russian government under Putin has violated many
of the principles that are essential to a well-functioning democracy. Levitsky writes that in
competitive authoritarian regimes, “incumbents routinely abuse state resources, deny the
opposition adequate media coverage, harass opposition candidates and their supporters,
and in some cases manipulate electoral results”, all of which have reportedly occurred in
Russia under Putin’s control. Furthermore, journalists’ rights to freedom of speech are
routinely violated and opposition is often jailed or exiled, which has especially been the case

2. since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022.Please let me know if the instructions
are unclear! Thank you!!