Most empirical research on human rights shows that democracy reduces state repression. However, there is large variation in levels of repression across democracies. What explains the variance in how democracies protect physical integrity rights? This article shifts from traditional decision-based theories to principal-agent theories of repression and it advances a theory of why and how state security agents employ violence against citizens without the orders of government leaders. First, authoritarian and civil war legacies reinforce repressive beliefs and practices among state agents (motives). Second, corruption increases the impunity of state agents and it turns repression less costly (opportunities). I find empirical support for these hypotheses for all democratic regimes for different periods over the last three decades.
