Lecture. How do different political regimes arise and change? This course will look at the different regime types in the world, their definitions, historical roots and evolution. The course will pay special attention to the regime type that has predominated in the history of humankind's political organization: authoritarianism. Some of the main readings in political science on authoritarian regimes and their breakdown will be considered. Explaining authoritarian resilience and fagility will be a part of the course. The role of elections will be discussed. Emphasis is on concepts and arguments, not on memorizing mechanical facts