Competitive elections alone are not enough to sustain a democratic society. But without them, a change of government without war or revolution is impossible. Across the world today, certain regimes ensure their longevity by capturing the electoral process as soon as they come to power. How do they accomplish this? What tools and technologies do they use to manipulate electoral outcomes in previously democratic societies? How do they undermine the legitimacy of competitive elections when they cannot win? And why do many people continue to vote in elections that may be neither free nor fair? Finally, what strategies do opposition movements use to try to re-establish competitive elections, and how successful have they been? This course tackles these questions and more through a rigorous examination of case studies in the contemporary world.