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4 - Co-optation

from Part II - Theory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2023

Johannes Gerschewski
Affiliation:
Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung
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Summary

This chapter is concerned about the role of elites in autocratic regimes. It focuses mainly on business and military elites and asks how autocracies can bind these actors to their inner sanctum. It reviews previous decades of research, highlighting the recent institutionalist turn in comparative authoritarianism, but also traces back debates about neo-patrimonialism, clientelism, patronage, and corruption. The chapter introduces the conceptual distinction between co-optation in formalized arenas like political parties and parliaments as well as in the shadowland of informality. It argues that intra-elite cohesion can be secured via reactive and preventive measures as well as by absorbing new members (widening) or by interweaving interests and instilling a feeling of reciprocity (deepening) among the elite members. The chapter ends by explicating concrete operationalization advice for empirical research.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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  • Co-optation
  • Johannes Gerschewski, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung
  • Book: The Two Logics of Autocratic Rule
  • Online publication: 06 April 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009199407.007
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  • Co-optation
  • Johannes Gerschewski, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung
  • Book: The Two Logics of Autocratic Rule
  • Online publication: 06 April 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009199407.007
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Co-optation
  • Johannes Gerschewski, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung
  • Book: The Two Logics of Autocratic Rule
  • Online publication: 06 April 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009199407.007
Available formats
×