Authoritarian regionalism: domestic politics, regional coalitions, and global regimes

Research on authoritarian resilience increasingly incorporates international factors, arguing that cooperation between autocracies can further regime survival. While rich literature exists on the relationship between regionalism and regime type, little research has focused on international-level dynamics. We argue that authoritarian regimes employ regional coalitions to gain more leverage on the international stage in order to influence global laws and norms according to their interests. They do this through a joint strategy of voting-buying and persuasion of other actors. By pushing international laws and norms toward authoritarian interests, authoritarian regimes can increase legitimacy for illiberal and authoritarian practices and thereby prevent international repercussions. We provide evidence from two cases of authoritarian regionalism by Eurasian states in the area of internet governance and minority rights. Our paper thereby enhances our understanding of the global dimension of authoritarian resilience by focusing on international consequences of authoritarian regionalism.