Comparative Politics: Elections under Authoritarianism

Comparative Politics
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Jennifer Gandhi and Ellen Lust-Okar's article "Elections under authoritarianism" reviews past research on what influences authoritarian regimes' elections and whether lections and the democratization process are linked. The research further compares the differences between the authoritarian elections in "Mexico, China, and Egypt, and to a lesser extent on Jordan, Taiwan, and Vietnam." Authoritarian elections allow dictators to manage electoral competition through repression and legitimizing their stay in power to avoid democratization and electoral reforms. Dictators have the option of using force to stay in power, but they also favor weak electoral laws and systems that allow them to stay in power and give the illusion they have legitimate power.
Authoritarian regimes influence electoral law and may help authoritarian leaders hold onto power and extend the patronage system while undermining democracy. In these regimes, the ruling parties control th...