Democratization and Autocratization

Abstract

This research pillar examines the dynamics of democratization and autocratization from a cross-national perspective, shedding light on how and why regimes transition between democracy and autocracy. It addresses critical questions, such as the economic consequences of regime change, or the role of institutions and mass mobilization in shaping regime trajectories. Projects under this pillar explore pathways to democracy, transnational repression by authoritarian states, and the conditions under which regimes experience significant transformations. By analyzing episodes of regime change and their drivers, this work advances our understanding of the global patterns and local mechanisms that define political regime transformations.

Main content

Publications

Boese-Schlosser, V. A., Bayerlein, M., Gates, S., Kamin, K., & Murshed, S. M. (2023). Trust issues? How being socialised in an autocracy shapes vaccine uptake (Discussion Paper SP V 2023-502). WZB Berlin Social Science Center. https://bibliothek.wzb.eu/pdf/2023/v23-502.pdf

Boese-Schlosser, V. A., & Eberhardt, M. (2023). How does democracy cause growth? (Discussion Paper SP V 2023-501). WZB Berlin Social Science Center. https://bibliothek.wzb.eu/pdf/2023/v23-501.pdf

Boese-Schlosser, V. A. (2024). Are most journalists killed in democracies? (Discussion Paper SP V 2024-501). WZB Berlin Social Science Center. https://bibliothek.wzb.eu/pdf/2024/v24-501.pdf

Sato, Y., Lundstedt, M., Morrison, K., Boese, V. A., & Lindberg, S. I. (2022). Institutional order in episodes of autocratization (V-Dem Working Paper No. 133). V-Dem Institute. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4239798

Boese-Schlosser, V. A., & Eberhardt, M. (Forthcoming). Democracy doesn't always happen overnight: Regime change in stages and economic growth. Review of Economics and Statistics. https://hdl.handle.net/10419/295128

Boese, V. A., & Wilson, M. C. (2023). Contestation and participation: Concepts, measurement, and inference. International Area Studies Review, 26(2), 89–106. https://doi.org/10.1177/22338659221120970

Boese-Schlosser, V., Edgell, A. B., Hellmeier, S., Maerz, S. F., Sato, Y., Wilson, M. C., & Lindberg, S. I. (2023). Identifying episodes of autocratization. In The Routledge Handbook of Autocratization (pp. 65–76). Routledge.

Wilson, M. C., Edgell, A. B., Sato, Y., Boese-Schlosser, V., & Lindberg, S. I. (2023). Autocratization—Not an “illiberal turn”. In The Oxford Handbook of Populism and Authoritarianism. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197639108.013.20

Projects

The Long Arm and the Iron Fist: Authoritarian Crackdowns and Transnational Repression
Researchers: Sebastian Hellmeier, Alexander Dukalskis, Saipira Furstenberg & Redmond Scales

Episodes of regime transformation
Researchers: Sebastian Hellmeier, Seraphine F. Maerz, Amanda B. Edgell, Matthew Wilson & Steffan Lindberg

Pathways to Democracy after Authoritarian Breakdown: Comparative Case Selection and Lessons from the Past
Researchers: Sebastian Hellmeier and Jean Lachapelle

Regime Transformation From Below: Mobilization for Democracy and Autocracy From 1900 to 2021
Researchers: Sebastian Hellmeier and Michael Bernhard

Pro-democracy movements in a comparative perspective
Researchers: Sebastian Hellmeier, Sonja Grimm, Jan Matti Dollbaum and Véronique Dudouet

State Concessions and Protest Duration in Authoritarian Regimes 
Researchers: Sebastian Hellmeier and Elena Leuschner

Tourism and the prospects of democratization
Researchers: Sebastian Hellmeier