SYLLABUS

Course: JSB701

“Elite in Transforming Society”

AIMS

The main aim of the course is to give answer on the question about the role of elites in the process of societal transition in the Czech Republic as a one of the Central European post-communistic country. On the background of elite and leadership theories the course will critically examine the role of post-communist elites in the processes of democratic transition and recent process of democratic backsliding. In this respect it emphasized the importance of the relationships among different elite sectors and also between elite and non-elites or general public. The goal of the course is to show how the problems of moral leadership, systemic corruption and plebeian anti-elitism deform not only society accountability system bud the whole democracy regime. The course offer summarized empirical knowledge about the quality of elites, their leadership capital, collective mentalities, values orientations, elite cohesion, systemic corruption and ascendancy of populist leaders and society polarization.

OBJECTIVES: By the end of the course, the attendants will have acquired:

1. understanding the foundations of elite and leadership theories and their possible applications in the post-communist transition analysis.

2. knowledge about historical and cultural background of elite change after the “Velvet Revolution”

3. knowledge about different elite segments cohesion and its consequences on democracy stability in the Czech Republic.

4. understanding of new democratic political elite failure as a consequence of institutional mechanisms supportive for systemic corruption and ascendance of populist leaders

5. an awareness of the relationship between elite and leadership, between elite and non-elites, between elite and “populist revolution” and between populism and democratic erosion in post-communist countries.

COURSE STRUCTURE

1. Introduction: Elite Theory and Democracy – Elite Definitions, Mosca (ruling class), Pareto (elite circulation, Lions and Foxes, Inovators and Consolidators), Democratic Elitism (Higley), Demoelitism (Halevy), Relational Elite Theory – The Role of Non-Elites in Elite Theory, Revolt of the Masses (secessio plebis, crowd man) and Revolt of the Elites (Lash) Elite and Stratification Theory

2. Historical Roots – Mythology, Brave – Dark Old World, Communist Darkness, Czech Communist Elite and Dissidence, Nomenklatura, Regime Reformers (Prague Spring 1968), “Normalization”, Old Elite Moral Decline, Dissent, Intellectuals, Anti-Politics (Havel), Velvet Revolution, Dissidents and Technocrats (Eyal)

3. Elite Change and Societal Transformation – Elite, Crises and Regime Change (Dogan and Higley), Grey Zone, The Old and New Elite (persistence of “nomenklatura cadres”, Type of Elite Change (circulation or reproduction – Szelényi, Szelényi), Elite Social and Cultural Capital (Bourdieu), Elite led transformation, its winners and losers

4. Power Elite and Civil Society (CSOs) Relations - process of democracy consolidation, civil society under communism, Civil society ideology, building the system of political parties, forming style of governing, trust to politicians, potiticians attitudes to civil society leaders, Václav Havel vs. Václav Klaus. Political Leaders, Public opinion Leaders, Civil Society Leaders

5. Leadership and Elite Quality – Classic Leadership Theories, Leaders of Crowds and Masses (LeBon, Freud) Leaders of Working Class (Marx), party leaders (Michels) charismatic leadership (Weber), Great Man Theory, leadership reputation (Dowding), Leadership Capital

6. Leadership and Democracy – The Leaderless Democracy (Weber), Competition of Political Leaders (Schumpeter) Leadership and Followership – The New Leadership Paradigm, Leadership Styles: Democratic-Authoritative (Lewin), Transforming Leadership (Burns)

7. Elite Cohesion and Democracy – United Power Elite (Mills), Elite Configuration - Structural Integration and Consensus (Higley), Informal Elite Networks, Elite Circles, Inner Elite Circle (Useem), Democratic Elite Cohesion and its Sustainability

8. Elite and Moral Leadership – Elite Degeneration (Pareto) – The Czech Systemic Corruption, Elite Predatory Networks, State Capture + Business Capture, Simulated Democracy (Lengyel), Deffective Democracy () Sate-ting Democracy

9. Non-Elite Degeneration – The real public (Mills), Phantom Public (Lipmann), Public Darknes (Dewey), Elite and Non-Elite Role in the Societal Accountability System, The Quiet Pact between Elite and Non-Elite in the communist era and in the democratic era,

10. Elitism and Anti-Elitism – Elitism as Obligation (Field, Higley), The Czech Elite Historical Discontinuity, The Czech Elite Mentalities (Aristocratic and Plebeian), Plebiscit Leader (Weber), Plebeian Leaders (LeBon), Populist leaders

11. Populism – theory of populism, ideational and performative perspective, populist mobilization, populist attitudes, populist leadership style (the role of emotions), entrepreneurial (technocratic) and presidency populism in the Czech Republic.

12. Populism and Democracy – is populism hope or threat to democracy? populism and political participation, populism and civil society organizations, power structure, society polarization, accountability, attacks on civil society.

13. Future of Elites-Non-Elites relationships – How democracy can gain immunity against the virus of populism and how could it be resilient against corruption and clientelism? What is the role of elites, civil society organizations, non-elite citizens and political leaders in the process of democracy revitalization?

TEACHING METHOD

The lectures will be held in person.

Between individual lectures, students are required to read compulsory texts. One text for compulsory reading will be assigned to each lecture. All compulsory reading texts are available to students at Moodle.

Students will write homework in the form of answers to questions on the content of compulsory texts. They will submit the written assignments (of approximately 15 lines) at least one day before each lecture to the "Task Folder" created in Moodle.

Each new lecture will begin with a discussion of the students´ answers to the homework questions.

At the end of the semester, each student will produce approximately 6 pages of homework text, which will be the subject of evaluation.

The final exam will take place in the form of final text of a minimum 6.000 and a maximum of 7.000 words. The topics of the final text are strictly limited by the content framework of the individual lectures of the course. The genre of the work is an essay, or rather a reflection on the problems of relations between elites and non-elites in the Czech Republic after Velvet Revolution (1989).

EVALUATION

- written answers to homework questions = max. 45 points

- final essay = max. 55 points

The subject of the evaluation of the essay will be:

The evaluation of the essay will follow the following criteria:

- Formal aspects = 5 points

- Choice of problem = 5 points

- Analysis = 15 points

- Logic of argumentation = 20 points

- Message = 10 points

To complete the course, the student must achieve at least 51 points!

The rating scale has six degres:

· 91 % and more => A

· 81-90 % => B

· 71-80 % => C

· 61-70 % => D

· 51-60 % => E

· 0-50 % => F

If the student does not get the required number of points on the first attempt (given by the sum of points for answers and for