Since 1962, a military regime has dominated Burma. It has used repression extensively, while attempting to reinvent itself a few times to gain some legitimacy. The stability of authoritarian rule requires explanation. More often than not, it is very difficult for authoritarian regimes to justify their rule and maintain control by force. Instead, they seek to justify their existence by appealing to exceptional circumstances, to promises of a better society, or to the need to defend the state against internal or external threats. Burma's military regime, under the Burmese Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) sought to create its own vision of a Burmese road to socialism. After failing to reach its goals, and after a crisis in 1988 that nearly led to its collapse, it reinvented itself as the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), which began a period of much more unapologetic military rule designed to forestall and prevent a reoccurrence of political instability. With only a minor change in its designation in 1997 as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), the regime essentially maintained its iron-first approach to political opposition until 2010. Under a new constitution, the junta has ceded control to a civilian government but the pace and extent of change remains uncertain.

Prior to 1962, Burma enjoyed almost ten years of democratic politics. At the outset, it was a promising country, given its vibrant political system and relatively rich economic base. Yet, instability and political crisis eroded its potential. The democratic regime never managed to consolidate itself. Despite promising economic development, low levels of urbanization and not much of a middle class provided little structural support for the fragile democracy. At the same time, divisions were deep along ethnic lines, as minority areas had been kept completely separate under British colonial rule. Their sudden inclusion in a state strongly dominated by the majority Burman group proved difficult. Furthermore, regional instability contributed to the new democracy's demise. The new government had difficulties protecting its territorial integrity as pro-Republic Chinese soldiers fled China after the 1949 victory of the Communist Party, and flowed into Burma. This instability set the stage for the 1962 coup.