Authoritarian Regimes Flashcards
Selectorate Theory
a theory that characterizes all governments by their location in a two-dimensional institutional space;
One dimension is the size of the selectorate
Second dimension is the size of the winning coalition
Disenfranchised
Residents who dont have the legal right to participate in choosing the government
Selectorate
People who can play a role in selecting the leader
Winning Coalition
People whose support is necessary for the leader to stay in power
Loyalty Norm
The extent of the winning coalition’s loyalty to the leader; its strength is determined by W/S: the probability that a member of the selectorate will be the winning coalition
Authoritarian
Regimes
Regimes based on submission to authority and characterized by:
1. Ruling elites
2. Limited political pluralism
3. Centralized political control
4. Intolerance of opposition
5. Human rights violations
Monarchic
Dictatorships
A dictatorship in which the executive holds the power on the basis of family and kin networks
Typically wields absolute power over a state, in which all other institutions of government are marginal
Military
Dictatorships
Military leaders that rules as a part of a “junta”
High-ranking vs. low-ranking officers
Typically claim to come to power as guardians of the national interest
However, motivation could be due to class conflict or corporate/economic interests of the military
Threat to stability is the military itself
Tend to have short duration and likely to end with negotiations
Civilian Dictatorships
Dominant-Party Dictatorships, Personalist Dictatorships,
Dominant Party
Dictatorship
A dictatorship in which a single party dominates access to political office and control over policy, though other parties may exist and compete in elections
Personalist
Dictatorship
A dictatorship in which the leader, although often supported by a party or the military, retains personal control of policy decisions and the selection of regime personnel
Characterized by:
A weak or nonexistent press
Secret police apparatus
Arbitrary use of state violence
Dictator’s Dilemma
The dictator relies on repression to stay in power, but this repression creates incentives for everyone to falsify their preferences so that the dictator never knows their true level of societal support
How to determine level of support?
Limit repression and allow free debate
Use repression
Cult of Personality
Used to gauge the true level of societal support by finding the point at which the population is no longer willing to publicly accept their “incredible” claims
Makes it hard for opposition groups to organize and coordinate their actions
Helps the dictator gain a better understanding on their level of societal support
Persuades segments of society to become “true believers” in the dictator
Electoral
Authoritarian
Regimes
A regime which leaders hold elections and tolerate some pluralism and interparty competition, but violate minimal democratic norms so severely and systematically that they cannot be considered democracies
Politically Closed
Authoritarian
Regimes
A regime in which the opposition’s party is granted no legal space in the political arena
