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The Political Role of Business Magnates in Competitive Authoritarian Regimes: A Comparative Analysis

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  • Pleines Heiko

    (Forschungsstelle Osteuropa (Research Centre for East European Studies), University of Bremen, Klagenfurter Str. 8, D-28259BremenGermany)

Abstract

This contribution examines the role of business magnates (“oligarchs”) in political transitions away from competitive authoritarianism and towards either full authoritarianism or democracy. Based on 65 cases of competitive authoritarian regimes named in the academic literature, 24 historical cases with politically active business magnates are identified for further investigation. The analysis shows that in about half of those cases business magnates do not have a distinct impact on political regime change, as they are tightly integrated into the ruling elites. If they do have an impact, they hamper democratization at an early stage, making a transition to full democracy a rare exception. At the same time, a backlash led by the ruling elites against manipulation through business magnates makes a transition to full autocracy more likely than in competitive authoritarian regimes without influential business magnates.

Suggested Citation

  • Pleines Heiko, 2019. "The Political Role of Business Magnates in Competitive Authoritarian Regimes: A Comparative Analysis," Jahrbuch für Wirtschaftsgeschichte / Economic History Yearbook, De Gruyter, vol. 60(2), pages 299-334, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:jbwige:v:60:y:2019:i:2:p:299-334:n:10
    DOI: 10.1515/jbwg-2019-3001
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    Keywords

    Business magnates; economic elites; political regime trajectories; competitive authoritarianism; Großunternehmer; Wirtschaftseliten; Entwicklungspfade politischer Regime;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D - Microeconomics
    • D - Microeconomics
    • N - Economic History
    • P - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems

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