week 3 - Non-democracies Flashcards
(11 cards)
what are the 3 different types of autocratic regime?
- civillian dictatorship (e.g Russia)
- monarchy dictatorship (e.g Saudi Arabia)
- Military dictatorship (e.g Sudan)
what is a civilian dictatorship, and what are the two sub groups of a civilian dictatorship?
(Civilian dictatorships include: China, Russia, etc.)
A dictator that didn’t use the militant means to rise to power. Historically, military has been used to gain power in such way, however a civilian dictator is one that took a different route to gaining power.
- Dominant party dictatorship - rely on a single party. “one party dominates access to political office and control over policy, though other parties may exist and compete as minor players in elections” (Page 10)
- personalist dictatorship - rely on a single person. These dictators will undermine institutional support to maintain personal control over policy decisions. These dictators often rotate regime personnel frequently to prevent the establishment of independent bases of support - thus not making them reliant on the support of any individual minister (Page 10) .
What is a monarchy dictatorship?
(for example, Saudi Arabia, Jordan)
A dictatorship characterised by power held within a single family. Monarchies tend to be more stable, experiencing less violence and political instability compared to other forms of dictatorship. They often have established succession rules and a political culture that fosters loyalty among the elite, which contributes to their longevity and economic stability.
what is a military dictatorship?
(for example, Iraq, Myanmar, etc)
These regimes are led by military leaders who often form juntas (a political / military group that rules after taking power by force).
Military dictatorships face internal threats from within the military itself, leading to frequent coups and countercoups (a sudden seize of power through force). They are generally short-lived and may transition to democratic forms of governance more readily than other types of dictatorships.
What are the two main problems that a dictatorship will face?
- Authoritarian power sharing
- Authoritarian control
What is meant by the issue of Authoritarian power sharing for a dictatorship?
This issue arises when there is tension from within the winning coalition itself on how power is distributed amongst them.
Dictators rely on a coalition of elites to maintain power, but the absence of a third-party enforcer (like a judiciary) makes stable power-sharing agreements difficult. This lack of enforcement means that any power-sharing agreement must be self-enforcing, creating a precarious situation where the dictator has the incentive to alter the agreement to his advantage whenever possible.
If the dictator’s support coalition perceives that their interests are not being met or that the dictator is consolidating power at their expense, it can lead to “intra-elite conflict” (Page 16) 1. This conflict can manifest in various ways, including coups or attempts to remove the dictator, which can destabilise the regime.
What is meant by the issue of Authoritarian control?
This is the constant conflict in interest between the elite (the ruling) and then the rest of the population (“the masses”). Dictators face the constant threat of popular uprisings or revolutions by the masses to over throw them.
what are the two ways in which a dictator attempts to combat the issue of authoritarian control?
- repression - the action of quieting someone by force. Repression can be effective in maintaining control due to the fear aspect, but it comes with risks. Dictators often rely on the military to carry out repression, which can create a double-edged sword. While the military can help suppress the public, it also gains power and resources in doing so, potentially leading to a situation where the military could act against the dictator if it chooses to do so.
^Thus a dictator must balance the trade-offs between keeping the military weak to avoid threats and strengthening it to quell unrest by the public. - Co-optation - the act of incorporating potential threats to the regime, into the regime itself - and in doing so removing the threat to power, as now they are apart of it also.
^This act can take various forms: distribution of resources, positions of power, etc. Thus creating a vested interest in the regimes survival.”regime parties are often considered a key institution when it comes to co-opting the masses” (Page 23). However the effectiveness of this can be limited if people start to realise they are being manipulated or their promises are no longer trust worthy.
What is meant by selectorate theory? (in simple terms)
A regimes performance is determined by the relationship between (and the size) of the winning coalition and selectorate. This theory helps explain the variations in the effectiveness and stability of regimes around the world. The size of either will change how the dictator acts.
The winning coalition - your party or government.
The selectorate - those that determine who is the wc and the leader. for example, party members, or elites.
^The assumption in this theory is that all political leaders are motivated by the desire to maintain their position of power - and this is what influences their choices in distributing goods, etc.
In essence, selectorate theory tries to explain the great variations in a dictators policy performance, as it is less predictable than say a democracy.
What would selectorate theory predict when considering a regime with a small winning coalition but a large selectorate? (consider the loyalty norm)
if a new regime is formed to replace the current regime, there is a lot of option of new potential ministers out of your very large selectorate.
Therefore there is a high chance that the supporters (or those within the winning coalition) of the old regime, will be murdered or in prison under this new regime.
This will make the winning coalition very loyal to the dictator, as they have a high vested interest in the regime remaining afloat.
The dictator will know this, and exploit their fears - and not give them as much economic goods in form of bribery, as they do not need to be bribed as much.
How is the provision of public goods effected in selectorate theory?
Leaders with a large winning coalition - provide more public goods, in order to satisfy a broader number of people. Public goods are non-excludable and benefit all citizens, making them efficient for retaining power when leaders depend on widespread support
Leaders with a small winning coalition - will focus on private goods instead of public goods. this makes defection more costly for the winning coalition, as they are so reliant on the dictator for their private goods. private goods are excludable and can be withdrawn if a coalition member defects.
