Authoritarianism has featured an important analytical lens in understanding the state and forms of governance in the global south. This course aims at critically engaging with notions of authoritarianism with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) from a perspective of political economy. We will engage critically with neoliberalism and Capitalism more widely to understand the economic and political impact and consequences on the global south. Neoliberalism will be investigated in its economic reform programs and its political promise of democracy while testing its limitations in context of the Middle East and North African region and the revolutionary uprisings since 2010. The aim is to critically assess authoritarianism not solely within its political appearance of repression but additionally trace authoritarianism to neoliberal economic reforms and promises. The course will engage critically with three main terms, that of neoliberalism, democracy, and authoritarianism, and their interconnectedness.