Economic development

How does it influence the survival of different types of autocracy

Bibliographic Data

ID6299348
AuthorsDaniel Stockemer (0000-0003-3502-6828, University of Ottawa, corresponding author), Steffen Kailitz (0000-0002-7251-3265, Hannah-Arendt Institute for the Research on Totalitarianism, Dresden University of Technology, Germany)
Year2020
Volume41
Issue5
Pages711-727
Publication date2020-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Political Science Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0192-5121 • E-ISSN: 1460-373X
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0192512120915902
OpenAlexW3033118213
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited46

Modernization theory is one of the most influential theories in political science. However, to date, studies testing the impact of modernization on political regimes have almost completely focused on democracies. We aim at broadening the discussion to autocracies and ask the following research question: What impact has economic development on the survival of different types of autocracy? Using data covering 1946 to 2016, we ascertain – mainly through logistic regression analysis – that the level of economic development affects not only the endurance of democracies but also that of various types of autocracy. In more detail, we find that economic development prolongs the survival of ideocracies and personalist autocracies. The effect of economic modernization on military dictatorships, monarchies and electoral autocracies is very limited. In contrast, one party autocracies are the only regime type whose survival chances (moderately) decrease with modernization

Autocracy · Democracy · Development economics · Dictatorship · Economic growth · Economic system · Economics · Modernization theory · Political science · Politics · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Law · Political Conflict and Governance · Social Policy and Reform Studies

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