They divided the sky: elite factionalism factors during contentious politics in GDR, 1989
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Date
2019
Authors
Gomza, Ivan
Tereshchenko, Denys
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
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Abstract
This paper aims to break into a "black box" of inner authoritarian elite
mechanics by elucidating the rationales for elite behavior under the pressure of mass
discontent during the Peaceful Revolution of 1989 in the GDR. A game-theoretic model is
applied and statistically tested in order to explore causal links between elite members’ office
types and their biological and institutional age on the one hand and defection on the other.
The data corroborate three out of four initial hypotheses, namely that (1) party functionaries
and (2) persons holding repression-related offices are most prone to defect, and that (3) both
inner and outer party circle officials offer equal support to demands for liberalization. One
hypothesis was only partly validated: there is an only partial causal relation between age and
proneness to defect.
Description
Keywords
authoritarian regime, contentious politics, elite factionalism, game theory modeling, single-party regime, winning coalition, article
Citation
Gomza I. A. They divided the sky: elite factionalism factors during contentious politics in GDR, 1989 / Ivan Gomza, Denys Tereshchenko // Ideology and Politics Journal. - 2019. - № 3 (14). - P. 22-57.