Topic 3 — Authoritarian Rulers and Regimes

Working definition
Authoritarian rulers govern systems in which political power is highly concentrated, accountability is minimal, and meaningful political competition is suppressed. While some authoritarian regimes retain elections, these no longer provide genuine opportunities for alternation in power.

Unlike illiberal leaders in democracies, authoritarian incumbents rely less on democratic legitimacy and more on institutional control, coercion, and elite management. However, they often maintain democratic rhetoric to preserve internal and external legitimacy.

Authoritarianism is not just illiberalism taken further — it represents a different equilibrium of power and control.

Definitions and Concepts in this Topic:
Authoritarian incumbents, Autocracy, repression, electoral authoritarianism

Where to look in the literature:

• Markowski & Kotnarowski (2025)
• Lührmann (2021)
• Russia–Central Europe mutual legitimation article (2025)