Deadline Extended For The Summer Workshop On Authoritarianism And Democratic Breakdown

The Hoover Institution Library & Archives at Stanford University is pleased to announce that the deadline for applications for the Summer 2018 Workshop on Authoritarianism and Democratic Breakdown has been extended to April 19, 2018. Application forms and guidelines can be found on the Hoover Library & Archives website. The workshop will be held at the Hoover Institution on the Stanford campus from July 15 to July 27, 2018.
 
The workshop is open to PhD students and recent PhDs working on any world region, and aims to facilitate original research and comparative study.  Historians, political scientists, sociologists, economists, or scholars in any field who would benefit from the Hoover collections and group exchange are welcome.
 
The workshop focuses on the problem of democratic breakdown and the nature of authoritarian regimes to understand why they come into being, how they work, what their legacies are, and how they can be challenged.  When and how do democratic polities come unglued?  What facilitates the onset and endurance of authoritarianism?  How does authoritarianism work in practice, from its coercive mechanisms and economic controls to its emotional appeals to national greatness?  What are the ways to combat authoritarianism?  What lessons have we learned over the course of the cold war and in the post-cold war about the strengths and weaknesses of both authoritarianism and rule-of-law democracy?

Now in its fifteenth year, the summer workshop has served as the basis for numerous books, articles, and monographs by participants, and helped constitute an international network of scholars.  Over the course of the two weeks at Stanford, workshop participants are able to access the unique and fast-growing holdings of the Hoover Archives.  Each participant will present his or her work to the group.  There are as well a few group seminars conducted by senior scholars on key themes.
 
Selected scholars will be awarded a $500 honorarium.  Alternative compensation will be arranged for international scholars who do not hold a US Social Security or ITIN number. Airfare costs and campus lodging are covered. International participants are subject to 37% taxation.
 
Full and active participation in the workshop is a requirement. Participants in the workshop understandably might want to take advantage of many of the opportunities at Stanford and the wider region.  Participants must schedule any auxiliary activities such that they do not conflict with their workshop obligations and attendance at all workshop activities.  Violation of these terms may result in no payment or an obligation to repay funds back to the Library & Archives.

Application Requirements
All applicants are required to submit their applications online with the following:

• Two-page CV
• A proposal of between 1,000 and 1,500 words describing your research project, and suggestions about Hoover collections you would be interested to use
• One letter of recommendation from a PhD supervisor or an established scholar familiar with your research

Application deadline: April 19, 2018 midnight ET
Applicants will receive notifications by May 8, 2018
Applications and recommendations must be submitted online in English

Apply