The Single-Party Dictator's Dilemma: Information in Elections without Opposition

dc.contributor.author

Malesky, E

dc.contributor.author

Schuler, P

dc.date.accessioned

2018-12-10T04:08:49Z

dc.date.available

2018-12-10T04:08:49Z

dc.date.issued

2011-11

dc.date.updated

2018-12-10T04:08:44Z

dc.description.abstract

The literature on authoritarian institutions points to nationwide elections as a mechanism for learning about the preferences of citizens. In using elections in this way, however, authoritarians face a trade-off between gathering reliable information and guaranteeing electoral victory. In this article, we explore how single-party regimes manage this trade-off and the particular types of information available to them. Using candidatelevel data from Vietnam, we demonstrate that single-party regimes, in particular, forsake information on overall regime support and strength of opposition in favor of information on the popularity of local notables and the compliance of local officials with central mandates. In addition, we show that ex ante electioneering is less risky than ex post fraud at achieving these goals. © 2011 The Comparative Legislative Research Center of The University of Iowa.

dc.identifier.issn

0362-9805

dc.identifier.issn

1939-9162

dc.identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10161/17762

dc.publisher

Wiley

dc.relation.ispartof

Legislative Studies Quarterly

dc.relation.isversionof

10.1111/j.1939-9162.2011.00025.x

dc.title

The Single-Party Dictator's Dilemma: Information in Elections without Opposition

dc.type

Journal article

duke.contributor.orcid

Malesky, E|0000-0001-5737-9195

pubs.begin-page

491

pubs.end-page

530

pubs.issue

4

pubs.organisational-group

Trinity College of Arts & Sciences

pubs.organisational-group

Duke

pubs.organisational-group

Political Science

pubs.publication-status

Published

pubs.volume

36

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
MaleskySchuler_LSQ_2011.pdf
Size:
3.41 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Accepted version