How should we think about transitions from autocratic to democratic political systems and societies? The period from the 1970s to the 1990s generated an important set of answers in law, normative political theory, and sociology. In the age of what is now often called the third wave of autocratization, there is considerable discussion as to whether the lessons from that period – or even older lessons from West Germany and Japan post-1945 – are truly helpful. Attempts to reconstruct the rule of law in Poland appear to have stalled; in other states, opposition parties continue to grapple with the challenge of how they should confront governing autocrats: insist on full accountability (including large-scale prosecutions) or hope for pacted transitions? If the latter, what happens to existing legal systems and constitutions created by autocrats?
We seek to tackle these questions from legal, social-scientific, ethical, and, not least, historical perspectives. We revisit both the German and the US experience of "reconstructions;" we also invite students in the last and somewhat experimental part of the course to develop plans for reconstruction after the current political phase in the United States.
At the end of the course, students will be familiar with a range of crucial debates at the intersection of political and legal theory. They will also have a sense of different approaches to these debates in Europe and the United States. Lastly, they will be able effectively to draw on some of the key findings of scholars working in the areas of political theory, comparative constitutional law, and comparative politics.
Die Vorbesprechung findet laut im Moodle-Kurs ausgewiesenem Termin digital statt. Die Anmeldung muss per E-mail an kaiserab@hu-berlin.de erfolgen. Eine Einschreibung im Moodle-Kurs genügt nicht für eine Anmeldung.
Prüfung für StudO REWI 2020: Vorausgehende Studienarbeit, anschließende Studienarbeit (auf deutsch)Prüfung für SoWi-Studierende siehe Moodle-Kurs
Die Veranstaltung wurde 8 mal im Vorlesungsverzeichnis SoSe 2026 gefunden:
