Authoritarian Learning and Diffusion

Abstract

This panel examines the variety of ways in which authoritarian leaders can learn from experiences abroad in ways that shape their survival strategies. Authoritarian incumbents often watch events abroad with interest, and pay particular attention to moments of regime contention when neighbouring regimes are threatened by domestic mobilisation. Ruling elites in one setting can learn from the mistakes and successes of their peers, and can modify their own domestic strategies in light of the information they gain from examining the fate of their foreign counterparts. The papers on this panel explore a range of circumstances under which such learning and diffusion processes take place, including the counter-revolutionary policies of authoritarian leaders during the course of the Arab Spring, and the strategies that African leaders have used to extend their time in office by removing or modifying constitutional term limits. The papers examine the various circumstances under which such learning will take place, as well as the manner in which such learning can shape decision-making processes about the timing and choice of particular survival strategies.