These lecture videos are part of my series in Introduction to Comparative Politics, but are specially uploaded for my students at Long Island University Brooklyn, who because of the COVID-19 virus have to complete their coursework for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester online.
The material is open to all subscribers and those interested in the subject, but all graduate and undergraduate students of mine are required to view them for their course.
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Introduction to Comparative Politics Lecture 06:
Theories of Authoritarianism
Part II – Understandings of Fascism
In this lecture, we examine the phenomenon of fascism, an extreme form of authoritarianism that often is associated with totalitarianism, but in reality has a special place within the authoritarian spectrum on its own in that it relies on mass mobilization of the public for political authority and legitimacy.
While most examples of fascism reside in history, there is a growing interest in the causes and conditions of its rise in popularity; especially in knowing that fascism grows out of the dying husk of a failed democracy. Indeed, there is a notable “democratic” character to fascism’s establishment that necessitates a separate distinction from more general theories of authoritarianism.
Material is largely drawn from Robert Paxton’s work The Anatomy of Fascism.
Stop Fascism 