Research framework and broader academic knowledge base
Serbia: documented application of the same framework
What is the difference between an authoritarian leader, the current government, and the system as a whole?
The leader is the most visible face of the government, but no leader governs completely alone. He needs people who make and implement decisions, control money, information, party, police, administration and local networks.
The current government is that circle of people in positions, while the system consists of formal rules and unwritten relations that determine who gets protection, who gets the punishment and how the government can be controlled or replaced. If institutions, public companies, media and local networks continue to reward loyalty and punish independence, this way of government can survive the departure of one man. That is why changing the leader is not the same as changing the system.
When one leader suppresses the party, the army and the state, these differences blur. That is why it is necessary to watch how many other people and institutions can really say ‘no’ to him.
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
- The Linz regime defines through the rules and structure of political power, and not through the personality of a single leader. That is why the shift of the man at the top does not have to change the system if the limited pluralism and weak responsibility remain the same.
comparing several countries or cases
Svolik, M. W. (2012), The Politics of Authoritarian Rule, Cambridge University Press.
- Contribution to this answer
- Svolik shows that a dictator never rules alone: he must simultaneously control society and share power with the elites on which he relies. That is why the leader, the ruling group and the regime are three different levels of analysis.
review more research
Geddes, B., Wright, J. i Frantz, E. (2018), How Dictatorships Work, Cambridge University Press.
- Contribution to this answer
- It follows the whole life cycle of dictatorships how they arise, how the power within them divides or concentrates around one person, and how and why they eventually fall. This shows why the structure of the system cannot be reduced to one person.
review more research
Meng, A., Paine, J. i Powell, R. (2023), „Authoritarian Power Sharing“, Annual Review of Political Science 26: 153–173.
- Contribution to this answer
- Meng, Paine and Powell explain when the division of power in autocracy becomes real: it is not enough for co-workers to get functions or benefits, but there must be ways to enforce the agreement and have the leader bear the price if he violates it.
Development and verification of measurement methods
Geddes, B., Wright, J. i Frantz, E. (2014), „Autocratic Breakdown and Regime Transitions: A New Data Set“, Perspectives on Politics 12(2): 313–331.
- Contribution to this answer
- Geddes, Wright and Frantz separate the departure of the leader from the end of the regime: after the overthrow of the dictator, the same authoritarian order can survive, be succeeded by another autocracy, or only then can democratization begin.
Is a relevant source missing? Send it to us.
Suggest a source or report an error in this answer →