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Regime consolidation through deinstitutionalisation: a case study of the 2019 elections in Thailand
[journal article]
Abstract Studies of elections held by autocrats often assume that institutions are strengthened in order to increase the leverage of the dictator. Yet, it can also be the case that institutions are purposely weakened when autocrats allow for elections. This is what happened in the 2019 Thai elections. These ... view more
Studies of elections held by autocrats often assume that institutions are strengthened in order to increase the leverage of the dictator. Yet, it can also be the case that institutions are purposely weakened when autocrats allow for elections. This is what happened in the 2019 Thai elections. These elections were notable not for advancing "national reform" or democratisation, but for the deinstitutionalisation of the party system. Through three mechanisms - constitutional engineering, electoral manipulation, and legal rulings - Thailand's royalist elites were able to deinstitutionalise the opposition and undermine a fair, democratic process. This paper outlines these mechanisms of deinstitutionalisation that distorted the outcome of the 2019 elections.... view less
Keywords
Thailand; authoritarian system; regime; consolidation; dictatorship; party system; election; manipulation; securing of power; Southeast Asia
Classification
Political Process, Elections, Political Sociology, Political Culture
Free Keywords
Politische Institution; Staat; Verhältnis Bürger - Staat
Document language
English
Publication Year
2023
Page/Pages
p. 265-285
Journal
Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 42 (2023) 2
ISSN
1868-4882
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed