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9 - Conclusion

from Part IV - Conclusion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2024

Henry Thomson
Affiliation:
Arizona State University
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Summary

In this conclusion, I draw broader lessons for the study of authoritarian regimes from the analyses of this book. I call for greater attention to coercive institutions by scholars of authoritarian politics, and for authoritarian regimes to be theorized as groups rather than unitary actors. I briefly discuss the applicability of my theoretical argument to the Chinese case. Under Mao Zedong, breakdown of elite cohesion during the Cultural Revolution was associated with a decline in the capacity of the Ministry of Public Security. This mirrors reductions in coercive capacity after post-Stalinist transitions in Central and Eastern Europe.

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Watching the Watchers
Communist Elites, the Secret Police and Social Order in Cold War Europe
, pp. 255 - 266
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • Conclusion
  • Henry Thomson, Arizona State University
  • Book: Watching the Watchers
  • Online publication: 22 February 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009413602.009
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  • Conclusion
  • Henry Thomson, Arizona State University
  • Book: Watching the Watchers
  • Online publication: 22 February 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009413602.009
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Conclusion
  • Henry Thomson, Arizona State University
  • Book: Watching the Watchers
  • Online publication: 22 February 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009413602.009
Available formats
×