Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T07:06:47.021Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Internal Opposition Dynamics and Restraints on Authoritarian Control

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 July 2017

Grant T. Buckles
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Autocrats rely on co-optation to limit opposition mobilization and remain in power. Yet not all opposition parties that pose a threat to their regime are successfully co-opted. This article provides a formal model to show that reliance on activists influences whether an opposition leader receives and accepts co-optation offers from an autocrat. Activists strengthen a party’s mobilization efforts, yet become disaffected when their leader acquiesces to the regime. This dynamic undermines the co-optation of parties with a strong activist base, particularly those with unitary leadership. Activists have less influence over elite negotiations in parties with divided leadership, which can promote collusion with the regime. The results ultimately suggest that party activism can erode authoritarian control, but may encourage wasteful conflicts with the government.

Keywords

authoritarian ruleco-optationpolitical oppositionpolitical partiesinstitutionsmobilizationformal political theory
Type
Articles
Information
British Journal of Political Science , Volume 49 , Issue 3 , July 2019 , pp. 883 - 900
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

*

Department of Political Science, Emory University (email: gtbuckl@emory.edu). I would like to thank Jennifer Gandhi, Danielle Jung, Jeff Staton, four anonymous reviewers and the editor, Sona Golder, for valuable comments and suggestions. This research was supported by Professional Development Support Funds provided by Laney Graduate School, Emory University. Online appendices are available at https://doi.org/doi:10.1017/S0007123417000126.

References

Acemoglu, Daron, and Robinson, James A.. 2006. Economic Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Arriola, Leonardo R. 2009. Patronage and Political Stability in Africa. Comparative Political Studies 42 (10):1339–1362.Google Scholar
Arriola, Leonardo R. 2013a. Multiethnic Coalitions in Africa: Business Financing of Opposition Election Campaigns. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Arriola, Leonardo R. 2013b. Protesting and Policing in a Multiethnic Authoritarian State: Evidence from Ethiopia. Comparative Politics 45 (2):147–168.Google Scholar
Arriola, Leonardo R. 2014. Cooptation and Fragmentation in African Party Systems. Paper Presented at the American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, 28–31 August.Google Scholar
Banks, Arthur S., Muller, Thomas C., and Overstreet, William R., eds. 2006. Political Handbook of the World 2005–2006. Washington, DC: CQ Press.Google Scholar
Blaydes, Lisa. 2010. Elections and Distributive Politics in Mubarak’s Egypt. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Boix, Carles, and Svolik, Milan W.. 2013. The Foundations of Limited Authoritarian Government: Institutions and Power-Sharing in Dictatorships. The Journal of Politics 75 (2):300–316.Google Scholar
Brownlee, Jason. 2007. Authoritarianism in the Age of Democratization. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Bunce, Valerie J., and Wolchik, Sharon J.. 2010. Deafeating Dictators: Electoral Change and Stability in Competitive Authoritarian Regimes. World Politics 62 (1):43–86.Google Scholar
Conrad, Courtenay R. 2011. Constrained Concessions: Beneficent Dictatorial Responses to the Domestic Political Opposition. International Studies Quarterly 55:1167–1187.Google Scholar
Cunningham, David E. 2006. Veto Players and Civil War Duration. American Journal of Political Science 50 (4):875–892.Google Scholar
Cunningham, Kathleen Gallagher. 2011. Divide and Conquer or Divide and Concede: How Do States Respond to Internally Divided Separatists? American Political Science Review 105 (2):275–297.Google Scholar
Cunningham, Kathleen Gallagher. 2013. Actor Fragmentation and Civil War Bargaining: How Internal Divisions Generate Civil Conflict. American Journal of Political Science 57 (3):659–672.Google Scholar
Davenport, Christian. 2007. State Repression and the Domestic Democratic Peace. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Del Panta, Gianni. 2017. Weathering the Storm: Why was There no Arab Uprising in Algeria? Democratization.Google Scholar
Donno, Daniela. 2013. Elections and Democratization in Authoritarian Regimes. American Journal of Political Science 57 (3):703–716.Google Scholar
Fleischhacker, Helga. 1999. Gabon. In Elections in Africa: A Data Handbook, edited by Dieter Nohlen, Michael Krennerich and Bernard Thibaut, 387–410. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Francois, Patrick, Rainer, Ilia, and Trebbi, Francesco. 2015. How Is Power Shared in Africa? Econometrica 83 (2):465–503.Google Scholar
Gandhi, Jennifer. 2008. Political Institutions under Dictatorship. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Gandhi, Jennifer, and Przeworski, Adam. 2006. Cooperation, Cooptation, and Rebellion Under Dictatorships. Economics & Politics 18 (1):1–26.Google Scholar
Gandhi, Jennifer, and Buckles, Grant. 2016. Opposition Unity and Cooptation in Hybrid Regimes. Paper Presented at the Annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference, Chicago, IL, 7–10 April.Google Scholar
Geddes, Barbara. 1999. What Do We Know About Democratization After Twenty Years? Annual Review of Political Science 2:115–144.Google Scholar
Gehlbach, Scott, and Simpser, Alberto. 2015. Electoral Manipulation as Bureaucratic Control. American Journal of Political Science 59 (1):212–224.Google Scholar
Greene, Kenneth. 2007. Why Dominant Parties Lose: Mexico’s Democratization in Comparative Perspective. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Gunther, Richard, and Diamond, Larry. 2003. Species of Political Parties: A New Typology. Party Politics 9 (2):167–199.Google Scholar
Heger, Lindsay L., and Jung, Danielle F.. 2015. Negotiating with Rebels: The Effect of Rebel Service Provision on Conflict Negotiations. Journal of Conflict Resolution: 1–27.Google Scholar
Howard, Marc Morjé, and Roessler, Philip G.. 2006. Liberalizing Electoral Outcomes in Competitive Authoritarian Regimes. American Journal of Political Science 50 (2):365–381.Google Scholar
Hsieh, Chang-Tai, Miguel, Edward, Ortega, Daniel, and Rodriguez, Francisco. 2011. The Price of Political Opposition: Evidence from Venezuela’s ‘Maisanta’. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 3 (2):196–214.Google Scholar
Khatib, Lina, and Lust, Ellen. 2014. Reconsidering Activism in the Arab World. In Lina Khatib and Ellen Lust, eds, Taking to the Streets: The Transformation of Arab Activism, 1–21. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.Google Scholar
Kitschelt, Herbert. 2000. Linkages between Citizens and Politicians in Democratic Polities. Comparative Political Studies 33 (6/7):845–879.Google Scholar
Lansford, Thomas. 2012. Gabon, In Political Handbook of the World 2012, 501–509. Washington, DC: CQ Press.Google Scholar
LeBas, Adrienne. 2006. Polarization as Craft: Party Formation and State Violence in Zimbabwe. Comparative Politics 38 (4):419–438.Google Scholar
LeBas, Adrienne. 2011. From Protest to Parties: Party-Building and Democratization in Africa. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
LeBas, Adrienne. 2014. The Perils of Power Sharing: A New Twilight in Zimbabwe? Journal of Democracy 25 (2):52–66.Google Scholar
Levitsky, Steven, and Way, Lucan. 2010. Competitive Authoritarianism: Hybrid Regimes After the Cold War. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Lust-Okar, Ellen. 2005. Structuring Conflict in the Arab World: Incumbents, Opponents, and Institutions. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Lust-Okar, Ellen. 2006. Elections under Authoritarianism: Preliminary Lessons from Jordan. Democratization 13 (3):456–471.Google Scholar
Magaloni, Beatriz. 2006. Voting for Autocracy: Hegemonic Party Survival and its Demise in Mexico. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Magaloni, Beatriz. 2008. Credible Power-Sharing and the Longevity of Authoritarian Rule. Comparative Political Studies 41 (4/5):715–741.Google Scholar
Malesky, Edmund, and Schuler, Paul. 2010. Nodding vs Needling: Analyzing Delegate Responsiveness in an Authoritarian Parliament. American Political Science Review 104 (3):482–502.Google Scholar
McMann, Kelly M. 2006. Economic Autonomy and Democracy: Hybrid Regimes in Russia and Kyrgyzstan. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Ndombet, Wilson-Andr. 2009. Renouveau democratique et pouvoir au Gabon (1990-1993). Paris: Karthala.Google Scholar
Ngoh, Victor Julius. 2004. Biya and the Transition to Democracy. In The Leadership Challenge in Africa: Cameroon Under Paul Biya, edited by John Mukum Mbaku and Joseph Takougang, 427–452. Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press.Google Scholar
Prorok, Alyssa K. 2016. Leader Incentives and Civil War Outcomes. American Journal of Political Science 60 (1):70–84.Google Scholar
Resnick, Danielle. 2013. Urban Poverty and Party Populism in African Democracies. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Reuter, Ora John, and Robertson, Graeme B.. 2015. Legislatures, Cooptation, and Social Protest in Contemporary Authoritarian Regimes. The Journal of Politics 77 (1):235–248.Google Scholar
Reuter, Ora John, and Remington, Thomas F.. 2009. Dominant Party Regimes and the Commitment Problem: The Case of United Russia. Comparative Political Studies 42 (4):501–526.Google Scholar
Rieffer-Flanagan, Barbara Ann. 2013. Evolving Iran: An Introduction to Politics and Problems in the Islamic Republic. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.Google Scholar
Ritter, Emily Hencken, and Conrad, Courtenay R.. 2016. Preventing and Responding to Dissent: The Observational Challenges of Explaining State Repression. American Political Science Review 110 (1):85–99.Google Scholar
Roberts, Hugh. 2015. Algeria: The Negotiations That Aren’t. In Arab Spring: Negotiating in the Shadow of the Intifadat, edited by I. William Zartman, 145–181. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press.Google Scholar
Svolik, Milan W. 2012. The Politics of Authoritarian Rule. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Svolik, Milan W.. 2013. Contracting on Violence: The Moral Hazard in Authoritarian Repression and Military Intervention in Politics. Journal of Conflict Resolution 57 (5):765–794.Google Scholar
van de Walle, Nicolas. 2001. African Economies and the Politics of Permanent Crisis, 1979–1999 . New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
van de Walle, Nicolas. 2007. Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss? The Evolution of Political Clientelism in Africa. In Patrons, Clients, and Policies: Patterns of Democratic Accountability and Political Competition, edited by Herbert Kitschelt Steven I. Wilkinson, 50–67. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Wright, Joseph. 2008. Do Authoritarian Institutions Constrain? How Legislatures Affect Economic Growth and Investment. American Journal of Political Science 52 (2):322–343.Google Scholar
Wright, Joseph, and Escribà-Folch, Abel. 2012. Authoritarian Institutions and Regime Survival: Transitions to Democracy and Subsequent Autocracy. British Journal of Political Science 42 (2):283–309.Google Scholar
Zakharov, Alexei V. 2016. The Loyalty-Competence Trade-Off in Dictatorships and Outside Options for Subordinates. The Journal of Politics 78 (2):457–466.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: PDF

Buckles supplementary material

Appendix

Download Buckles supplementary material(PDF)
PDF 179.7 KB