Encyclopedia Tyrannica: A Research Guide to Authoritarianism

The Encyclopedia Tyrannica transcends the conventional boundaries of an encyclopedia, serving as a comprehensive research guide for scholars, students, and experts in the fields of authoritarianism and democratization. It delves deep into the historical, theoretical, and methodological underpinnings of key concepts while providing exhaustive literature reviews and exploring their varied applications across different world regions. Recognizing the challenges posed by the expanding landscape of authoritarian studies, over thirty experts collaborated to streamline the vast literature, exposing blind spots and accounting for nuances.

Whether seeking foundational knowledge or navigating specialized topics, the 'Tyrannica' stands as the definitive resource in dictatorship studies. By bridging gaps between theory and practice, novice and expert, it aims to foster a deeper understanding of autocratic regimes, their classifications, features, actors, behavior, worldviews, and transitions.

Designed with a structured approach, the 'Tyrannica' organizes entries logically, offering both alphabetical and thematic arrangements in seven sections. Additional information boxes enhance understanding by providing context-specific examples and understudied aspects. Intended as the quintessential reference for scholars and students alike, this encyclopedia extends beyond academia to policymakers and experts, offering a systemic overview of dictatorship studies and its intersections with democratization research. Area study experts will find alternative theories and regional variations elucidated, while educators can utilize the book as a teaching aid.

This book was co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union within the M.O.R.D.O.R. project (2021-1-PL01-KA220-HED-000023034).

Author: Jeroen Van Den Bosch
Publisher: Ibidem Press
Published: 01/28/2025
Pages: 900
Binding Type: Paperback
ISBN: 9783838218823

About the Author

Jeroen Van Den Bosch (Edited by)
Dr Jeroen J.J. Van den Bosch studied Area Studies (Slavonic Studies) and Political Science (International Relations) at the Catholic University in Leuven (Belgium) and Poznań (Adam Mickiewicz University [AMU]). Since 2018, he works as an Erasmus+ project coordinator at AMU, raising funds and managing complex, consortium-based, educational projects. His previous projects include: EISCAS, EISIPS, M.O.R.D.O.R., CAGHAN-P. In parallel, he is active as an independent scholar and has written Personalist Rule in Africa and Other World Regions (Routledge, 2021) and co-edited The European handbook of Central Asian Studies: History, Politics, and Societies (ibidem-Verlag, 2021), Handbook of Indo-Pacific Studies (Routledge, 2023), and Research Handbook on Authoritarianism (Edward Elgar, 2024). His research fields encompass theories of dictatorships, their classification, autocratic cooperation democratization, political regimes theories, sub-Saharan Africa and Central Asia. This Encyclopedia Tyrannica was created in the frame of the M.O.R.D.O.R. project, of which J. Van den Bosch is the project coordinator.

Natasha Lindstaedt (Edited by)
Dr Natasha Lindstaedt is Professor of Government at the University of Essex, where she also serves as the Faculty Dean for Education in the Social Sciences. Dr Lindstaedt's research focuses on authoritarian regimes, governance, democratic backsliding, and human security. She has published extensively on these topics including Dictators and Dictatorships (Bloomsbury, 2011), The Politics of Dictatorships (Lynne Rienner, 2011), Failed States and Institutional Decay (Bloomsbury, 2013), Democracies and Authoritarian Regimes (Oxford University Press, 2019), Democratic Decay and Authoritarian Resurgence (Bristol University Press, 2021), and, most recently, the Research Handbook on Authoritarianism (Edward Elgar, 2024). At the University of Essex, she has taught courses in Authoritarian Politics, State Building and Governance, International Development, International Security, Latin American Politics, Asian Politics, and Middle East Politics. In addition to her teaching and research, she has consulted for the United Nations Economic and Social Commission of Western Asia, and has worked on projects with the European Union External Action Service and IDEA International.