Though Comparative Politics has been trying to understand why and how countries democratize for many years, the recent events in the Middle East and North Africa offer fresh opportunities to test old theories and develop new ones. In this course we will analyze definitions of democracy and various hypotheses that can help explain the timing of transitions from authoritarian rule, and why attempts at democratization succeed or fail, using examples from the Arab Spring and elsewhere. (Subfield Designation: CP) (A.R.T.S Designation: A)