If you are afraid of Left-wing excesses, should you vote for Left-wing parties?

• In Event: Global Shifts in Party Politics and Power

Abstract

A common argument against voting for liberal or Left-wing parties in electoral democracies is that doing so increases the risk of Left authoritarianism. We empirically evaluate this claim. We begin by collecting Left-wing regimes responsible for at least 10,000 domestic deaths. Using a novel dataset, we categorize each instance based on the political conditions preceding the transition, coding factors such as the ideological alignment of prior governments, levels of political repression, and economic instability. Our analysis finds no correlation between the election of Left-wing governments and the emergence of extreme Leftist regimes. Instead, we find that Right-wing dominance—particularly under authoritarian conditions—may increase the likelihood of Left authoritarianism. These findings suggest that fears of Left excesses arising from Left-wing electoral victories may be misplaced. Right-wing repression may be a more significant driver of the conditions that lead to Left authoritarianism.

Author

• J. Mohorcich, Lehman College