The comparative study of authoritarianism has neglected plebiscites, and the comparative study of referendums tends to see in them a form of direct democracy regardless of the regime. We conceptualize dictatorial plebiscites as a genuine authoritarian tool, as part of a repressive strategy with the objective of hindering internal regime rivals and discouraging the coordination of the external opposition. We provide empirical evidence from dictatorships for the period 1946-2008 that is compatible with our expectations.
CITATION STYLE
Penadés, A., & Velasco, S. (2022). Plebiscites: a tool for dictatorship. European Political Science Review, 14(1), 74–93. https://doi.org/10.1017/S175577392100031X
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