Determinants of the Attempting and Outcome of Coups d’état

@article{Powell2012DeterminantsOT,
  title={Determinants of the Attempting and Outcome of Coups d’{\'e}tat},
  author={Jonathan M Powell},
  journal={Journal of Conflict Resolution},
  year={2012},
  volume={56},
  pages={1017 - 1040}
}
  • Jonathan M Powell
  • Published 6 June 2012
  • Political Science
  • Journal of Conflict Resolution
Previous studies have attested to leaders “coup-proofing” their regimes by reducing the ability or disposition of their armies to seek their removal. The following article tests the utility of these efforts. “Structural” coup-proofing such as counterbalancing is expected to reduce the ability to organize a coup plot by creating substantial coordination obstacles to soldiers. Coup-proofing by spoiling militaries with organizational resources is expected to reduce the willingness to intervene… 
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256 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
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Background Citations
67
Methods Citations
16
Results Citations
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256 Citations

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Citation Type

The Impact of Institutional Coup-Proofing on Coup Attempts and Coup Outcomes
Coup-proofing pertains to political leaders’ strategies that will prevent groups inside or outside the state apparatus from seizing power via a coup d’état. One particular form of these strategies…
Preventing Coups d’état
Although coups remain a pressing concern for rulers across the globe, the mechanisms through which common coup-prevention strategies operate have not been well theorized or rigorously tested. This…
Coups and Military Ranks
This paper lays out theoretical expectations regarding how military rank conditions an individual’s disposition and opportunity to undertake a coup d’état. We present data collected on the military…
Recouping after Coup-Proofing: Compromised Military Effectiveness and Strategic Substitution
In order to counter the threat of a coup, states often undertake a number of strategies to “coup-proof” their militaries, such as creating institutional redundancy, severely limiting interbranch…
Regime Vulnerability and the Diversionary Threat of Force
In this article, I move beyond prior efforts to explore the relationship between the risk of a coup and international conflict by considering alternatives that leaders can utilize to strengthen their…
Recouping after Coup-Proofing: Compromised Military Effectiveness and Strategic Substitution
ABSTRACT In order to counter the threat of a coup, states often undertake a number of strategies to “coup-proof” their militaries, such as creating institutional redundancy, severely limiting…
Leader Survival Strategies and the Onset of Civil Conflict: The Paradox of Coup-Proofing
It is paradoxical that authoritarian leaders often hold power for long periods of time, despite their states being chronically plagued with rebellion. This tendency has been explained in part by…
Preventing Coups d’état
Although coups remain a pressing concern for rulers across the globe, the mechanisms through which common coup-prevention strategies operate have not been well theorized or rigorously tested. This…
Coup Risk , Coup-Proofing Strategy and Leader Survival
  • Political Science
  • 2016
Under what conditions do political leaders take strategies that allow them to reduce militaries’ capabilities to successfully organize a coup? There is a broad consensus among previous studies that…
Trading coups for civil war
This paper investigates civil conflict as a product of the survival strategies of African leaders. Specifically, the paper offers a theory of risk substitution that predicts coup-fearing leaders will…
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References

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This study examines the influence of civil–military relations on military effectiveness. More specifically, we investigate how coup-proofing, that is, the strategies and tactics employed to prevent…
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