Research and Politics – Are Coups Good for Democracy?

A number of recent studies argue that coups can help usher in democracy. These authors examine this relationship empirically by looking at the political regimes that follow coups in autocracies, as well as the level of repression against citizens. They find that, though democracies are occasionally established in the wake of coups, more often new authoritarian regimes emerge, along with higher levels of state-sanctioned violence.