To Repress or Not to Repress—Regime Survival Strategies in the Arab Spring
Abstract
Authoritarian regimes use repression as an essential strategy to attain regime stability and survival. During the Arab Spring, different forms of repression have been employed. We argue that to explain this variation, three bundles of characteristics have to be taken into account: the setup of the regime, the state, and the challenge. As we assume that elites have a wider repertoire of strategies besides repression at their disposal, the analysis of repression has to be embedded in a broader framework of strategies of rule. Including specific forms and target groups of repression, we develop an explanatory model addressing the question of which repressive measures rulers utilize under which circumstances. The postulated relationship between repression and characteristics of the state, regime, and challenge are then tested in a comparative analysis of the reactions to the challenges arising with the 2011 uprisings in two very different Arab countries, Bahrain and Egypt. On the basis of these empirical findings, we propose a readjusted model explaining repression.
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Whatever the technique of digital repression, authoritarian rulers most often rely on the internet-providing companies to delay, prevent or manipulate access to internet services.
“Whatever the technique of digital repression, authoritarian rulers most often rely on the internet-providing companies to delay, prevent or manipulate access to internet services. 59”
From Authoritarian collaboration and repression in the digital age: balancing foreign direct investment and control in internet infrastructure (2026) · cites this paper as [59]
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- Authors
- Josua, M., & Edel, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Tübingen (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Josua, Maria
- Venue
- Terrorism and Political Violence
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2014-03-12
- Volume
- 27
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 289-309
- ISSN
- 0954-6553 (ISSN-L)
- 1556-1836
- OpenAlex
- W1994621580
- Cited by
- 95
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 25 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 3 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 5 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 15.20
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Terrorism and Political Violence (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Political Conflict and Governance
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Middle East and Rwanda Conflicts
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Middle East Politics and Society
- Keywords
- repression, regime survival, authoritarian regimes, Arab Spring, regime stability, state characteristics, political challenges, 2011 uprisings, Bahrain, Egypt, elite strategy
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