Authoritarian
regional organizations have experienced a remarkable rise in numbers
and importance. Autocracies across the world have joined organizations
such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC), and the Bolivian Alliance for the People of
Our America (ALBA) over the last few decades. But why do autocracies
institutionalize cooperation and join regional organizations considering
the possible sovereignty costs? Do authoritarian regional organizations
differ from their democratic counterparts in terms of activities and
design? What are the domestic effects of membership for authoritarian
rule?
How Regional Organizations Sustain Authoritarian Rule
explores the rise in and the impact of authoritarian regional
organizations - the Dictators' Clubs - in world politics. It examines
how and why incumbent autocratic regimes sort into regional
authoritarian organizations, compares their activities and designs to
their democratic counterparts, and considers the political effects on
member states. With a combination of statistical survival analysis and
case studies from the Middle East, (Eur)Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and
Latin America, Maria J. Debre reveals that regional organizations have
helped to defend autocratic regimes from pro-democratic protestors,
co-opt political elites, legitimize flawed elections, regulate behavior
among members to prevent unwanted domestic interference, and shield
regimes against the fallout from international sanctions.
While
regionalism has long been associated with the aspiration of states to
promote democracy and human rights, Debre illustrates that these
dictators' clubs bolster authoritarian rule worldwide.
Maria J. Debre: „How Regional Organizations Sustain Authoritarian Rule – The Dictators' Club“, Oxford University Press, 218 Seiten, ISBN: 9780198903604
