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ID: 186684

Electoral Responsiveness in Closed Autocracies: Evidence from Petitions in the former German Democratic Republic / Lueders, Hans

LUEDERS, HANS	Journal Article
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Summary/Abstract

Contested elections are usually seen as precondition for constituent responsiveness. By contrast, I show that even uncontested elections can create incentives for autocratic regimes to address citizen demands. I propose that closed autocracies engage in cycles of responsiveness before uncontested elections to assure citizens of their competence and raise popular support. They do so to mitigate the short-term destabilizing effects of elections. Analyzing a unique dataset of petitions to the government of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR), I calculate that response times to petitions were up to 31% shorter before the GDR’s uncontested elections. Moreover, I introduce the concept of “substantive responsiveness,” which focuses on the material consequences of responsiveness for petitioners, and show that petitions were 64% more likely to be successful. The paper advances our understanding of electoral mobilization in closed regimes and contributes to an emerging research agenda on responsiveness and accountability in autocracies.

Key Words

Closed Autocracies ; Electoral Responsiveness ; Former German Democratic Republic

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ID: 185493

One Strike and You’re out…Dictators’ Fate in the Aftermath of Terrorism / Adam, Antonis; Tsavou, Evi

Adam, Antonis	Journal Article
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Summary/Abstract

We use a cross-country dataset on terrorism and leadership survival from 1970 through 2015 to shed light on a leader’s fate after terrorists’ strike. We provide robust evidence that incumbents in electoral authoritarian regimes face an increased hazard of exit from political power. This is contrasted with the closed authoritarian dictators that remain intact. Moreover, we fail to find a robust effect of terrorism on a leader’s survival probability in democracies. We conceive this effect to be due to the collapse of the elite coalition in autocracies after an attack, suggesting that the dictator’s ‘loyal friends’ betray him in the aftermath of terrorism.

Key Words

Terrorism ; Political Survival ; Electoral Autocracies ; Incumbent Leader ; Closed Autocracies

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