Autocracy

The logic of hereditary rule: theory and evidence

“…Perhaps the most famous statement on this issue is the celebrated work by Mosca (1939) and Pareto (1901). Tullock (1987) argued that hereditary transitions of power were part of a wider strategy for sustaining elite control in autocracies since it provides a means of insulating the elite from potentially destabilizing power struggles. Brownlee (2007) studies transitions of power in a sample of 258 post-war autocratic leaders who rule for at least three years.…”

Strategic Behavior and Organizational Structure in Religions

“…Because I consider the issue of succession, previous work on the role of succession in autarchy is of relevance. The classic work on this subject is by Tullock (1987). Because he considers autocracies where power usurps formal rule (e.g., the Soviet Union, particularly in its earlier years), he asks different questions and provides more speculative answers than the present study, which treats the formal rules as being operative.…”

Combining Autocracy and Majority Voting: The Canonical Succession Rules of the Latin Church

“…Tullock (1987) first focused on the constitutional modes of autocratic succession (open, hereditary, appointed) and on the relationship between them and the occurrence of coups against the incumbent autocrat. Tullock (1987) and Kurrild-Klitgaard (2000) account for the evolution of the constitutional rules of autocracies towards hereditary succession. The main focus of some recent trends of research is instead on the variables (in particular, growth and welfare-enhancing policies)…”

“…The evolution of the canonical electoral laws is an example of the relationship between the search for stability in autocratic regimes and their constitutional rules governing succession, as illustrated by Tullock (1987). However, the electoral rules of the Church in the XI-XIII centuries did not evolve into hereditary succession, as Tullock's analysis assumes,…”