Thesis Chapters by Stephen Hall
This paper argues that an important concept of authoritarian learning is missing, how leaders lea... more This paper argues that an important concept of authoritarian learning is missing, how leaders learn from domestic experience. Yanukovych's failure to become President in 2004 and the Orange Revolution which denied him this is an example of domestic learning. Yanukovych devised tactics to alleviate any possible new Orange Revolution. Fearing such an event Yanukovych implemented his new lessons. These methods involved changing his image to a democrat and making Party of Regions (PoR) a viable alternative to the incumbent regime. Through using resources of supportive oligarchs, Yanukovych bought opposition politicians, so increasing control of parliament. The strengthening of PoR created a party-of-power and reinforced control of the political system. Due to changes to the Constitution Yanukovych was able to place allies in key positions. Upon becoming President he used his parliamentary majority to increase presidential powers, oust the incumbent Prime Minister, increase control of institutions and change the electoral system for the regime's
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Authoritarian learning has received scant attention in academic literature. This analysis emphasi... more Authoritarian learning has received scant attention in academic literature. This analysis emphasises how authoritarian regimes in the former-Soviet Union (FSU) learn from one another to consolidate authoritarianism. The argument is that regimes use similar tactics and institutions to consolidate authoritarianism. The study uses the cases of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine to offer comprehensive analysis of authoritarian consolidation. Using a methodology of case studies, longitudinal analysis and discourse analysis, I show that these regimes have become more authoritarian, using similar tactics and building comparable institutions. The research suggests that the cases share similar characteristics that seem unlikely to have appeared in each state by themselves. Learning is the most applicable explanation for this. The investigation uses hypotheses that make a strong case for authoritarian learning. The thesis argues that existing authoritarian typologies should explain a few cases which share similarities. Currently, literature uses a chosen rubric universally to explain many cases. This weakens typologies, exhausting effectiveness in explaining different authoritarian regimes.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Drafts by Stephen Hall
The study attempts to begin to construct a conceptualisation of authoritarian learning to expand ... more The study attempts to begin to construct a conceptualisation of authoritarian learning to expand further understanding of this important topic. The study uses four research questions to create this conceptualisation. These are what authoritarian learning is, why are some regimes successful, how authoritarian regimes learn and is authoritarian learning different to other forms of learning. The construction of a conceptualisation of authoritarian learning is the primary novelty and contribution of this investigation. Currently the nascent authoritarian learning literature has failed to explain what is meant by authoritarian learning. This study fills this gap. The second contribution and novelty of the investigation is that unlike other analyses on authoritarian learning, this study assesses how authoritarian regimes learn from domestic historical events. In terms of findings the study established that authoritarian regimes acclimatise to both successes and failures and that both these can be imitated. Therefore the investigation argues that adaptability and emulation are paramount to authoritarian learning. Thus what can be stated is that authoritarian regimes learn from domestic historical events and from each other; to succeed they adjust and duplicate; and that authoritarian learning, this study contends, is a mixture of adaptation and emulation.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Papers by Stephen Hall
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Much has been written about Russian authoritarian promotion in the former-Soviet Union and furthe... more Much has been written about Russian authoritarian promotion in the former-Soviet Union and further afield, but there has been little analysis of Russian learning from other regimes. This article argues that the Belarusian regime provides lessons to Moscow for overcoming democratic protests, having learnt from the 2000 overthrow of Slobodan Milošević in Serbia. The Belarusian case therefore expands a literature primarily centred on Russia, extending understanding of authoritarian learning and questioning Russia's role as the primary authoritarian promoter in the region.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Uploads
Thesis Chapters by Stephen Hall
Drafts by Stephen Hall
Papers by Stephen Hall