POLSCI 329S Chapter Notes - Chapter All: Autocracy, Democratic Centralism, Authoritarianism
11 May 2018
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Popular Movements in Autocracies: Chapter 1, 2, and 4
CHAPTER 1:
A Theory of Popular Collective Action in Autocracies
Initial material motivations: major economic crisis or unpopular economic policies
Three factors that determine whether collective action actually happens:
o Social networks and organizational structures that enable groups to express their claims
o Ideological and cultural frameworks that justify collective action
o Political opportunities and constraints that define benefits and costs associated with
different forms of collective action
Closed autocracies: regimes that don’t hold elections, state-sponsored organizations
o Opposition parties and civil organizations are suppressed
o Client-patron networks, heavy punishments for dissent
Introduction of limited societal/political competition rise of autonomous organizations and
cycles of independent mobilization
o Breakdown of religious and political monopolies + spread of competition for souls/votes
will empower previously marginalized groups to develop popular movements for economic
redistribution
o Then, retraction of political competition during cycle of mobilization and rise of threats for
group survival incentives for radicalization
o Peaceful protest armed rebellion
o Economic redistribution claims ethnic autonomy and self-determination
Collective Action in Close Autocracies
Political Hegemony under Single-Party Monopoly
Rules maximize government revenue, personal profit, and societal compliance
Opposition and civil society repressed
Governing strategy: reward loyalists, repress independent citizens and movements
o Client-patron networks
o Ruling party distributes material rewards
Rules and incentives discourage an autonomous civil society and collective mobilization
Independent protest is rare
o When they do occur, they are very severe
Underground organizations still may occur in: religion, education, and the workplace
Social Hegemony under a Religious Monopoly
Single religious supplier
Monopoly clergy maximize membership, private monetary contributions, and state protection
Religion is rarely a major source for independent mobilization
o If state-controlled, the clergy works in the interest of the state because they depend on the
state for resources and protection, thus discouraging any type of rebellion among the poor
parishioners
o If non-state controlled, the clergy receive most of their wealth from wealthy donors and
work in the interest of the wealthy, thus theologically justifies poor peoples’ economic
states
Political and Religious Monopolies in Indigenous Communities
Dual political and religious monopolies generate few incentives for rise of civil societies and
collective action
Ex: Mesoamerican villages
find more resources at oneclass.com
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Document Summary
Popular movements in autocracies: chapter 1, 2, and 4. A theory of popular collective action in autocracies. Initial material motivations: major economic crisis or unpopular economic policies. Closed autocracies: regimes that don"t hold elections, state-sponsored organizations: opposition parties and civil organizations are suppressed, client-patron networks, heavy punishments for dissent. Rules maximize government revenue, personal profit, and societal compliance. Governing strategy: reward loyalists, repress independent citizens and movements: client-patron networks, ruling party distributes material rewards. Rules and incentives discourage an autonomous civil society and collective mobilization. Independent protest is rare: when they do occur, they are very severe. Underground organizations still may occur in: religion, education, and the workplace. Monopoly clergy maximize membership, private monetary contributions, and state protection. Dual political and religious monopolies generate few incentives for rise of civil societies and collective action. A model of religious competition and social mobilization in autocracies.
