Shock to the System: Elections, Elite Violence, and War on the Road to Democratization, 1800-2014

• In Event: Electoral Effects and Varieties of Authoritarianism

Brief Overview

More than 9 in 10 democratic transitions since 1800 occur either after a violent shock (mainly coups, civil wars, or defeat in foreign war) that weakens the autocracy, or through elections after which the ruling party regains power in democracy.

Author

• Michael K. Miller, George Washington University