Research framework and broader academic knowledge base
Serbia: documented application of the same framework
How can we tell that this is not just one bad decision, but an authoritarian way of governing?
One bad or illegal decision in itself is not enough to talk about the authoritarian system. It is important what happens when a mistake is discovered: can the courts, the assembly, the media, independent bodies and citizens challenge it, correct it and hold those responsible accountable?
Authoritarian mode of government occurs when the government gradually weakens these very possibilities it adjusts the elections in its favor, punishes critics, takes over institutions and applies the law differently to allies and opponents. Therefore, it is not only crucial whether elections, courts and assemblies formally exist, but whether they can really limit the government and enable its dismissal.
There is no one perfect border. Different research measures slightly different when the government has become authoritarian, so border cases should be described, not just marked.
Works supporting this answer, with their evidence type and an explanation of how they relate to the claim.
Explain how the system works
Linz, J. J. (2000), Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes, Lynne Rienner.
- Contribution to this answer
- Linz is one of the first to clearly demarcate authoritarians from totalitarian regimes according to him, authoritarian power does not have to control everything, but it stifles political competition, rarely lays accounts and does not respect the clear limits of its own power.
Development and verification of measurement methods
Cheibub, J. A., Gandhi, J. i Vreeland, J. R. (2010), „Democracy and Dictatorship Revisited“, Public Choice 143: 67–101.
Cheibub, J. A., Gandhi, J. i Vreeland, J. R. (2010), "Democracy and Dictatorship Revisited", Public Choice 143: 67–101.
- Contribution to this answer
- “The authors offer concrete rules for separating democracy from dictatorship, but also a warning: the assessment depends on whether elections can really change power, not just whether elections exist.
comparison of different types of systems
Wahman, M., Teorell, J. i Hadenius, A. (2013), „Authoritarian Regime Types Revisited: Updated Data in Comparative Perspective“, Contemporary Politics 19(1): 19–34.
Wahman, M., Teorell, J. i Hadenius, A. (2013), "Authoritarian Regime Types Revisited: Updated Data in Comparative Perspective", Contemporary Politics 19(1): 19–34.
- Contribution to this answer
- The authors show that not all electoral autocracies are the same and that the way we classify them also changes the conclusions we draw from the data. That is why recognizing an authoritarian system requires more than one label or one event.
Development and verification of measurement methods
Teorell, J. i Lindberg, S. I. (2019), „Beyond Democracy–Dictatorship Measures: A New Framework Capturing Executive Bases of Power, 1789–2016“, Perspectives on Politics 17(1): 66–84.
- Contribution to this answer
- Teorell and Lindbergh distinguish five ways in which the executive power comes into office and leaves it inheritance, the military, the party, the direct elections and the confidence of the parliament. These grounds can overlap, so the regime cannot be reliably reduced to one label.
review more research
Brancati, D. (2014), „Democratic Authoritarianism: Origins and Effects“, Annual Review of Political Science 17: 313–326.
- Contribution to this answer
- Brancati shows that elections, parties and other democratic-like institutions can have an entirely authoritarian function: through them, the government collects information, shares benefits, monitors actors and stabilizes its own position.
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