Explore UCD

UCD Home >

POL20270

Academic Year 2024/2025

Post-Soviet Politics (POL20270)

Subject:
Politics
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Politics & Int Relations
Level:
2 (Intermediate)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Jos Dornschneider-Elkink
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

The module will introduce students to politics in countries of the ex-Soviet Union, covering the main political developments, events, institutions, and processes in the region. We will start with a historical overview of the pre-Soviet (imperial Russia) and Soviet periods and then focus on topics related to politics in Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Georgia and other countries after the fall of the Soviet Union. We will assess how and why, despite shared historical legacies, some post-Soviet countries succeeded in democratic transition while others established authoritarian regimes. The course will put the regional developments in the global context, introducing students to the main theories and comparative literature on democratic transitions and reversals.
(This module will be taught by Dr Nikita Khokhlov.)

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the course, the students will:
- become familiar with the countries in the post-Soviet region, their political systems and institutions;
- learn about the processes of democratic transition from socialism and authoritarian reversal;
- be able to understand post-Soviet politics in a comparative context;
- critically asses the academic literature on late Soviet and post-Soviet politics

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

22
Autonomous Student Learning

103
Total

125

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
* Lectures
* Group work
* Critical writing
* Reflective learning

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Critical paper Week 6 Graded No

40

 No
Exam (In-person): Final exam End of trimester
Duration:
2 hr(s)
 Graded No

60

 No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Print this page
Fill in the following details:
Enter the body of your query here.

From time to time UCD would like to send you further information that we feel, based on your enquiry, would be of interest to you.