The reading :

Authoritarian Regimes •Types of Authoritarian Regimes & The Logic of Authoritarianism

o Milan W. Svolik, The Politics of Authoritarian Rule (New York: Cambridge University Press,
2012), Chapters 1 and 2, pgs. 1-45.

o Steven Levitsky and Lucan A. Way, “Elections Without Democracy: The Rise of
Competitive Authoritarianism,” Journal of Democracy. 2002, Vol. 13, No. 2, pgs. 51-65.

o Barbara Geddes, Erica Frantz, & Joseph G. Wright, “Military Rule,” Annual Review of
Political Science. 2014, Vol. 17, pgs. 147-62.

• Studying Authoritarian Regimes

o Yuhua Wang, “Institutions and Bribery in an Authoritarian State,” Studies in Comparative
International Development. 2014, Vol. 49, No. 2, pgs. 217-241.

o Sebastian Hellmeier and Nils B. Weidmann, “Pulling the Strings? The Strategic Use of Pro-
Government Mobilization in Authoritarian Regimes,” Comparative Political Studies. 2020,
Vol. 53, No. 1, pgs. 71-108.

and here is the questions that you should answer 

1. What is an authoritarian regime? What are the different types of authoritarian regimes we have read this week?
2. Is an authoritarian regime different from a competitive authoritarian regime? If yes, how does it differ?
3. What are the two entrenched problems of authoritarian rule regarding the regime stability discussed by Svolik (2012) in his book?
4. How do the inherent dilemmas make a regime crisis in a competitive authoritarian rule?
5. How will you define military rule as one of the forms of authoritarian governance? Do military dictatorships act differently than civilian-led dictatorships?
6. Do the military strongmen behave differently than the military regimes to tackle the crisis in governing the states?
7. Please explain which institutional factors we have read in Wang’s (2013) article influence bribery between firms and public officials in an authoritarian state? Can we generalize the findings of Wang’s (2013) study to other parts of the world?
8. How do the pro-government rallies in authoritarian rule maintain the regime stability? What are the costs and risks of pro-government mobilization faced by the authoritarian rulers?

Team Assignment# 1: Five Page Briefing Note
Prepare the following: As a Planner in a municipality or provincial ministry, you have been asked to prepare a short (5 pages, single-spaced) Briefing Note on either of the two topics set out below. Building on class #1 discussions of “The Perfect Implementation Plan”, the note should contain:
• A SMART Problem/Purpose Statement
• Well-researched background (with citations)
• A creative implementation plan with SMART, numbered Recommendations
• A MECE Issue Tree (in Appendix

Project: Activating a Revitalization Plan for the Dundas-Sherbourne Neighbourhood

The Issue Tree (Outline of Plan)

SMART Problem Statement ? MECE Recommendations ? SMART Implementation Plan

What Needs to be Delivered

• Proposed revitalization plan for Dan Harrison
• Plan for acquiring 214-230 Sherbourne Street
• Full-scale community engagement process
• These may become 3-point plan

Task 1: SMART Problem/Purpose Statement

• SMART
  • Specific, not general
  • Measurable
  • Action-oriented
  • Relevant to the issue
  • Time-bound
• Example: To reduce bird deaths associated with high buildings by 70% within 5 years by updating bird safety guidelines.
• To do:
  • Make sure it doesn’t turn into a sales piece for my recommendations – must remain neutral
  • Give a hint of where money/resources will come from 

Task 2: Background Research

• How did we get here?
  • Decision history
• Key considerations
  • Focuses on 3 things to tackle in recommendations (3-point plan)
  • Describe, in full sentences, our plan
• Shape of the problem
• Other relevant policies
• History of Dan Harrison complex and 214-230 Sherbourne
• To do:
  • Do not make it terribly long
  • Challenges here must align with rule of three in plan

Task 3: MECE Issue Tree

• 3 recommendations
• Mutually Exclusive, Comprehensively Exhaustive
• Two dimensions:
  • Mutually Exclusive: each heading cannot overlap; must deal with separate issues
  • Comprehensively Exhaustive: must address the problem statement in a comprehensive and exhaustive manner; will we address the problem statement? – address minimum 80% of the problem

Task 4: SMART Recommendations

• Must be numbered and smart
• Recommendation 1:
  • 3 sub-points
  • Timeframe, resources, funding
• Recommendation 2:
  • 3 sub-points
  • Timeframe, resources, funding
• Recommendation 3:
  • 3 sub-points
  • Timeframe, resources, funding 
• Take these off the right-hand side of the issue tree

If you have a suggestion for what type of conflict you want to use, please let me know. However it needs to be a specific current event or experience involving a conflict. The theory needs to show how the theory might apply to conflicts.

Assignment: One of the major challenges of moving from theory to practice is developing a deep enough understanding of the theory so that you to recognize its operation in other situations. To help you practice thinking about and applying the theories covered in the course outside of class, for each Theory Application Paper you will select a current event or experience involving a conflict and write a brief, 3-page essay covering the following topics:

(a) Summarize the event or experience, with citation(s) as applicable;
(b) Summarize the main features of a psychological theory or processes covered
in the course material for the Topic associated with the Theory Application Paper, including relevant citation(s) to that material;
(c) Explain how the theory or process described in section (b) provides some insight about the event or experience summarized in section (a), e.g., how the theory or process helps to explain what happened; the implications of the theory or processes for how the conflict started, why it continues, or how one might work to resolve it constructively.

Assessment: The main requirement is that you demonstrate that you have engaged substantively with the course material on the topic and understand it well enough to be able to apply it to a novel, real-world situation. Consistent with this, Theory Application Papers will be assessed on the level of integration and analysis, the ability to demonstrate conflict resolution perspectives in your analysis the quality of writing, the accurate use of APA format, and the demonstrated mastery of knowledge and content covered in class.

The Abrahamic Covenant is found throughout Scripture, but specifically in the following passages:

Genesis 12:1-3

Genesis 13:14-17

• Genesis 15:12-18

Genesis 17:1-8

• The Two-Way Covenant requires each party to commit to and ratify the terms of the covenant. In the Mosaic Covenant, God said, “If you will . . . then you will be blessed” Deuteronomy 28 (ESV). All of the people gave affirmation of their willingness to obey the conditions of the Covenant – “We will do everything the LORD has said” Exodus 19:8 (ESV). However, the people were unfaithful time and again, so God refused to allow anyone from the first generation, other than Joshua and Caleb, to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 14).

The One-Way Covenant involves one individual committing to fulfill the covenant. The Abrahamic Covenant where only God passed through the slain animal parts while Abraham was sound asleep
(Genesis 15:12, 17) is an example of a One-Way Covenant.

• Is that significant? If so, in what way is this covenant significant?

Is there any language that states, “if you do this, then I will do that”?

• Are there any penalties for those who do not keep the covenant?

How long is an “everlasting covenant”?

How long is “everlasting life”?

Is the Abrahamic Covenant conditional or unconditional? 

Reading :G.L. Archer. “Covenant.” in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2017.Schreiner, Thomas R. “10 Things You Should Know about the Biblical Covenants.” Crossway.org (July 2017). Genesis 9;15;17Exodus 6:4; 24:7-8; 19Deuteronomy 42 Samuel 72 Chronicles 21:7Jeremiah 31:31Luke 22:201 Corinthians 11:252 Corinthians 3:6Hebrews 8:8; 9:15; 12:24