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Coups, Justification, and Democracy

Author

Listed:
  • Taku Yukawa

    (Associate Professor, Osaka School of International Public Policy, Osaka University)

  • Kaori Kushima

    (Ph.D. Student, Osaka School of International Public Policy, Osaka University)

  • Kaoru Hidaka

    (Specially Appointed Assistant Professor, Osaka School of International Public Policy, Osaka University)

Abstract

Coups are inherently illegal actions and are outside the conventional rules of political engagement. How, then, have the military organizations that staged coups justified their actions? What were the objectives cited for these coups? We have created a unique dataset of justifications for all the successful coups that had occurred between 1975 and 2014. The results show that while “democracy” began to be cited as a justification for coups after the Cold War, this justification became redundant in the latter half of the 2000s. This article demonstrates how the rise and fall of the anti-coup sentiment in the international community led to the redundancy of the aforementioned justification. These findings may support the existence of “democratic coups,” an issue that has been debated vigorously in recent years, although such coups have already become less frequent.

Suggested Citation

  • Taku Yukawa & Kaori Kushima & Kaoru Hidaka, 2019. "Coups, Justification, and Democracy," OSIPP Discussion Paper 19E003, Osaka School of International Public Policy, Osaka University.
    • Handle: RePEc:osp:wpaper:19e003
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    File URL: http://www.osipp.osaka-u.ac.jp/archives/DP/2019/DP2019E003.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Chukwuemeka Ezindu Venite, 2023. "The Resurgence of Coups D’état in the West African Region: Implications for Security in Nigeria," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(10), pages 621-630, October.

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    Keywords

    coups; justification; democracy;
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