Incumbents use policy to both neutralize opposition and mobilize supporters to entrench themselves.

Evidence

The discussion so far highlights the ways that incumbents can use substantive policy to neutralize political opposition, in much the same way that poll taxes and primary rules were used to neutralize opposition. But policy can just as easily be used to selectively mobilize political support. From an electoral entrenchment perspective, these are interchangeable tactics: both are ways of using the power of incumbency to shift the rules of the political game in incumbents’ favor. — Daryl Levinson and Benjamin I. Sachs, Political Entrenchment and Public Law, 247

Categorization

• DEFINE: Clarifies that electoral entrenchment encompasses both neutralizing opponents and mobilizing supporters as ‘interchangeable tactics.’
• XREF: connects to: Policies entrench by reshaping who holds political power. — Daryl Levinson and Benjamin I. Sachs, Political Entrenchment and Public Law, 194; Policies create their own supportive constituents and destroy their opponents — Daryl Levinson and Benjamin I. Sachs, Political Entrenchment and Public Law, 204; Neutralizing opponents and mobilizing supporters are interchangeable entrenchment tactics — Daryl Levinson and Benjamin I. Sachs, Political Entrenchment and Public Law, 247 (+9 more)

Broader Connections

• Policies can entrench themselves by weakening their own enemies’ political capacity #expands (0.88) — Daryl Levinson and Benjamin I. Sachs, Political Entrenchment and Public Law, 201
• A single policy can both defund opponents and reward allies. #exemplifies (0.88) — Daryl Levinson and Benjamin I. Sachs, Political Entrenchment and Public Law, 276
• Politicians deliberately shape who votes by steering policy to select their own electorate. #exemplifies (0.87) — Daryl Levinson and Benjamin I. Sachs, Political Entrenchment and Public Law, 281
• Some policies are self-consciously designed to entrench themselves and their creators. #expands (0.86)
• Neutralizing opponents and mobilizing supporters are interchangeable entrenchment tactics #expands (0.85) — Daryl Levinson and Benjamin I. Sachs, Political Entrenchment and Public Law, 247
• Some political entrenchment is deliberately designed, not merely incidental #expands (0.85) — Daryl Levinson and Benjamin I. Sachs, Political Entrenchment and Public Law, 202
• Co-opting local elites into state offices neutralizes potential regional opposition leadership. #exemplifies (0.82) — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 515
• Absorbing rival elites into the ruling bloc decapitates and neutralizes opposition #exemplifies (0.80)
• Political forces rise by dismantling and recoding competitors’ existing elements #exemplifies (0.75) — Hall, Stuart, Essential Essays, Volume 1, 1102
• Delegitimation strips institutions of standing to persuade or govern #exemplifies (0.74) — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 26