TY - JOUR
T1 - Authoritarian institutions and regime survival
T2 - Transitions to democracy and subsequent autocracy
AU - Wright, Joseph
AU - Escribà-Folch, Abel
PY - 2012/4
Y1 - 2012/4
N2 - This article examines how authoritarian parties and legislatures affect regime survival. While authoritarian legislatures increase the stability of dictators, political parties - even when devised to quell internal threats - can destabilize dictators. The main argument is that authoritarian parties influence the distribution of power in a subsequent new democracy by helping to protect the interests of authoritarian elites. These institutions thus increase the likelihood of democratization. Using a dataset of authoritarian regimes in 108 countries from 1946 to 2002 and accounting for simultaneity, the analysis models transitions to democracy and to a subsequent authoritarian regime. Results indicate that authoritarian legislatures are associated with a lower probability of transition to a subsequent dictatorship. Authoritarian parties, however, are associated with a higher likelihood of democratization.
AB - This article examines how authoritarian parties and legislatures affect regime survival. While authoritarian legislatures increase the stability of dictators, political parties - even when devised to quell internal threats - can destabilize dictators. The main argument is that authoritarian parties influence the distribution of power in a subsequent new democracy by helping to protect the interests of authoritarian elites. These institutions thus increase the likelihood of democratization. Using a dataset of authoritarian regimes in 108 countries from 1946 to 2002 and accounting for simultaneity, the analysis models transitions to democracy and to a subsequent authoritarian regime. Results indicate that authoritarian legislatures are associated with a lower probability of transition to a subsequent dictatorship. Authoritarian parties, however, are associated with a higher likelihood of democratization.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84857844885&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84857844885&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S0007123411000317
DO - 10.1017/S0007123411000317
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:84857844885
SN - 0007-1234
VL - 42
SP - 283
EP - 309
JO - British Journal of Political Science
JF - British Journal of Political Science
IS - 2
ER -