Authoritarian-era rhetoric norms constrain whether elites can later mobilize voters through ethnic hostility.

Evidence

Second, political legacies place constraints on electoral mobilization. Specifically, more exclusionary ruling coalitions create ethno-political dynamics where narratives exploiting ethnic cleavages become a powerful mode of political mobilization for elites in the pursuit of electoral gains. LeBas (2006: 422) notes how ‘political incentives must align with existing identities, rather than encourage the formation of identities that transcend them’. Polarization and group boundaries are upheld and reproduced by political elites and create situations where space for bargaining shrinks (McAdam, Tarrow & Tilly, 2001). In Kenya, the electoral rhetoric played on historical injustices and ethnic divisions, and the violence served both to solidify the incumbent’s support base and to punish opposition voters. In Zambia, the use of an ethnically hostile rhetoric would have signalled a break from the rhetoric used during authoritarian rule. — Johan Brosché and Hanne Fjelde and Kristine Höglund, Electoral violence and the legacy of…, 97

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Authoritarian regimes’ breadth of ethnic inclusion shapes post-transition electoral violence risk. — Johan Brosché and Hanne Fjelde and Kristine Höglund, Electoral violence and the legacy of…, 10; Inclusive versus exclusive authoritarian ruling coalitions shape electoral violence risk. — Johan Brosché and Hanne Fjelde and Kristine Höglund, Electoral violence and the legacy of…, 94; Openly racist political newcomers must temper their appeal to attract high authoritarians — Bob Altemeyer, The Authoritarian Specter, 4423 (+3 more)

Related

• Exclusionary authoritarian coalitions seed later electoral violence while inclusive ones do not. (similarity 0.87)
• Inclusive authoritarian legacies reduce zero-sum ethnic politics during democratic transitions (similarity 0.87)
• Authoritarian regimes’ breadth of ethnic inclusion shapes post-transition electoral violence risk. (similarity 0.87)
• Authoritarian-rule legacies plausibly drive electoral violence beyond Africa (similarity 0.86)
• Authoritarian coalition-building approaches shape post-transition political incentives. (similarity 0.86)
• Exclusionary versus cooperative elite coalition legacies shape post-transition electoral violence risk. (similarity 0.85)
• Electoral violence in ethnically divided societies erupts when elections become ethnic head counts. (similarity 0.84)
• Preventing ethnic dominance reduces electoral violence during democratic transitions (similarity 0.84)
• Exclusionary authoritarian regimes cultivate zero-sum perceptions that outlast them and drive electoral violence (similarity 0.83)
• Authoritarian-era institutional choices can shape political behavior after democratic openings. (similarity 0.83)
• Authoritarian regimes vary in how inclusively they build ethnic ruling coalitions. (similarity 0.83)
• Inclusive versus exclusive authoritarian ruling coalitions shape electoral violence risk. (similarity 0.83)
• Narrow authoritarian coalitions raise mobilization stakes and zero-sum perceptions among excluded groups. (similarity 0.82)
• Authoritarian-era coalition-building logics explain later divergence in electoral violence between Kenya and Zambia. (similarity 0.81)
• African ruling coalitions nearly always include some ethno-regional intermediaries, but inclusion depth varies (similarity 0.81)

Broader Connections

• Inclusive authoritarian legacies reduce zero-sum ethnic politics during democratic transitions #corroborates (0.88) — Johan Brosché and Hanne Fjelde and Kristine Höglund, Electoral violence and the legacy of…, 38
• Authoritarian regimes’ breadth of ethnic inclusion shapes post-transition electoral violence risk. #expands (0.85) — Johan Brosché and Hanne Fjelde and Kristine Höglund, Electoral violence and the legacy of…, 10
• Inclusive versus exclusive authoritarian ruling coalitions shape electoral violence risk. #expands (0.80) — Johan Brosché and Hanne Fjelde and Kristine Höglund, Electoral violence and the legacy of…, 94
• Extremist prejudice persists by insulating members from broader cultural norms. #corroborates (0.80) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 1912
• Openly racist political newcomers must temper their appeal to attract high authoritarians #qualifies (0.72) — Bob Altemeyer, The Authoritarian Specter, 4423