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4 Digital Authoritarianism

  • Anita R. Gohdes , Allison W. Koh and Maurice P. Schumann
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De Gruyter Handbook of Political Control
This chapter is in the book De Gruyter Handbook of Political Control

Abstract

In this chapter, we provide an entry point into the growing field of research that pertains to authoritarianism in the digital age. We define digital authoritarianism as the practices aimed at (1) manufacturing improved popular support for the incumbent, (2) reducing the threat of existing opposition, and (3) preventing future opposition. Focusing on practices allows us to investigate elements of digital authoritarianism beyond classical authoritarian regimes. Building on our definition, we structure the chapter around the three main goals of digital authoritarianism as defined above. For each goal, we describe the most common methods employed to achieve them and the conditions under which these methods are most successful. Throughout the chapter we also point towards the layers of political repression affected, thereby connecting digital authoritarian practices to this book’s broader discussion of political control. The chapter concludes by situating digital authoritarianism within the wider topic of political control and providing an outlook on future avenues of research.

Abstract

In this chapter, we provide an entry point into the growing field of research that pertains to authoritarianism in the digital age. We define digital authoritarianism as the practices aimed at (1) manufacturing improved popular support for the incumbent, (2) reducing the threat of existing opposition, and (3) preventing future opposition. Focusing on practices allows us to investigate elements of digital authoritarianism beyond classical authoritarian regimes. Building on our definition, we structure the chapter around the three main goals of digital authoritarianism as defined above. For each goal, we describe the most common methods employed to achieve them and the conditions under which these methods are most successful. Throughout the chapter we also point towards the layers of political repression affected, thereby connecting digital authoritarian practices to this book’s broader discussion of political control. The chapter concludes by situating digital authoritarianism within the wider topic of political control and providing an outlook on future avenues of research.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Table of Content V
  3. Studying More than the Last Mile of Repression: The Layered Model of Political Repression 1
  4. Section I: Layer 1, Whole Population
  5. 1 Media, Disinformation, and Layered Repression 23
  6. 2 Rights and Control 37
  7. 3 Capitalism, Corporations, and Political Repression 55
  8. 4 Digital Authoritarianism 75
  9. 5 Surveillance Studies 91
  10. 6 Measuring Cross-national Variation in Regimes of Control 109
  11. 7 Spells, Sub-Spells and Layering State Repression: New Measures and New Directions 139
  12. Section II: Layer 2, Minoritized Populations
  13. 1 Controlling Women and Men Through Gendered Repression 165
  14. 2 Social Control of Racial and Ethnic Minorities 191
  15. 3 Legal Controls and Migrants 211
  16. 4 Manufacturing Youth Quiescence: Applying a Layered Approach to the Political Repression of Young People 229
  17. 5 Controlling Minoritized Populations 249
  18. Section III: Political Institutions
  19. 1 Regime Structure and Political Access 267
  20. 2 Legal Repression in Authoritarian Societies 285
  21. 3 Political Justice: Legal Control and Movement Mobilization in Democratic Society 299
  22. 4 Coercive Institutions and Political Control 317
  23. 5 How National Human Rights Institutions Protect Civil Society 335
  24. Section IV: Layer 4, Civil Society
  25. 1 Why Violence Emerges: Exploring Variation in Allegations of Corporate Human Rights Abuse 357
  26. 2 Non-Governmental Organizations and State Repression: Fighting Repression and Beyond 377
  27. 3 Donor Responses to Civil Society Repression 393
  28. Section V: Layer 5, Social Movements
  29. 1 Dulling the Impacts of Repression 411
  30. 2 Processes of Radicalization and Layers of Political Repression 427
  31. 3 Transnational Repression and Layers of Political Control 441
  32. 4 Non-State Agents of Repression 457
  33. Section VI: Layer 6, Nonviolent Resistance
  34. 1 Civil Resistance and Repression 477
  35. 2 When Repression Backfires 493
  36. Section VII: Layer 7, Violent Resistance
  37. 1 Cycles of Political Violence: Examining the Layered Relationship between Repression and Violent Dissent 511
  38. 2 Counterterrorism, Counterinsurgency and Repression 531
  39. Index
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111298559-005

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Table of Content V
  3. Studying More than the Last Mile of Repression: The Layered Model of Political Repression 1
  4. Section I: Layer 1, Whole Population
  5. 1 Media, Disinformation, and Layered Repression 23
  6. 2 Rights and Control 37
  7. 3 Capitalism, Corporations, and Political Repression 55
  8. 4 Digital Authoritarianism 75
  9. 5 Surveillance Studies 91
  10. 6 Measuring Cross-national Variation in Regimes of Control 109
  11. 7 Spells, Sub-Spells and Layering State Repression: New Measures and New Directions 139
  12. Section II: Layer 2, Minoritized Populations
  13. 1 Controlling Women and Men Through Gendered Repression 165
  14. 2 Social Control of Racial and Ethnic Minorities 191
  15. 3 Legal Controls and Migrants 211
  16. 4 Manufacturing Youth Quiescence: Applying a Layered Approach to the Political Repression of Young People 229
  17. 5 Controlling Minoritized Populations 249
  18. Section III: Political Institutions
  19. 1 Regime Structure and Political Access 267
  20. 2 Legal Repression in Authoritarian Societies 285
  21. 3 Political Justice: Legal Control and Movement Mobilization in Democratic Society 299
  22. 4 Coercive Institutions and Political Control 317
  23. 5 How National Human Rights Institutions Protect Civil Society 335
  24. Section IV: Layer 4, Civil Society
  25. 1 Why Violence Emerges: Exploring Variation in Allegations of Corporate Human Rights Abuse 357
  26. 2 Non-Governmental Organizations and State Repression: Fighting Repression and Beyond 377
  27. 3 Donor Responses to Civil Society Repression 393
  28. Section V: Layer 5, Social Movements
  29. 1 Dulling the Impacts of Repression 411
  30. 2 Processes of Radicalization and Layers of Political Repression 427
  31. 3 Transnational Repression and Layers of Political Control 441
  32. 4 Non-State Agents of Repression 457
  33. Section VI: Layer 6, Nonviolent Resistance
  34. 1 Civil Resistance and Repression 477
  35. 2 When Repression Backfires 493
  36. Section VII: Layer 7, Violent Resistance
  37. 1 Cycles of Political Violence: Examining the Layered Relationship between Repression and Violent Dissent 511
  38. 2 Counterterrorism, Counterinsurgency and Repression 531
  39. Index
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