Institutions, Conflict Legacy, & Rebel Party Power Retention Strategies

• In Event: Parties in Autocracies and Transitional Democracies

Brief Overview

This project examines the political economy of power retention strategies in post-conflict party systems. Building on a growing literature examining the transformation and governance of rebel successor parties following negotiated peace settlements, this piece asks why some rebel executives are more prone to violent retention strategies than others, despite having similar access to the state apparatus. This piece finds that the use of violent or non-violent retention strategies is linked to rebel incumbents’ ability to manipulate electoral institutions, but also its civil war and prewar legacy.

Author

• Michael Christopher Marshall, Alma College