Promoting Authoritarianism Abroad

Social Media, Political Polarization, and Political Disinformation: A Review of the Scientific Literature

Tucker, J. A., Guess, A., Barbera, P., Vaccari, C., Siegel, A., Sanovich, S., Stukal, D., & Nyhan, B. (2018) · doi:10.2139/ssrn.3144139 · Cited by 1,222 · see citing works

Democracy prevention: The international collaboration of authoritarian regimes

von Soest, C. (2015) · European Journal of Political Research · doi:10.1111/1475-6765.12100 · Cited by 291 · see citing works

Illiberal democracy in Hungary: authoritarian diffusion or domestic causation?

Buzogány, Á. (2017) · Democratization · doi:10.1080/13510347.2017.1328676 · Cited by 216 · see citing works

Enabling autocracy? Peacebuilding and post-conflict authoritarianism in the Democratic Republic of Congo

von Billerbeck, S., & Tansey, O. (2019) · European Journal of International Relations · doi:10.1177/1354066118819724 · Cited by 161 · see citing works

Ties to the Rest: Autocratic Linkages and Regime Survival

Tansey, O., Koehler, K., & Schmotz, A. (2016) · Comparative Political Studies · doi:10.1177/0010414016666859 · Cited by 145 · see citing works

Democracy promotion and the challenges of illiberal regional powers: introduction to the special issue

Risse, T., & Babayan, N. (2015) · Democratization · doi:10.1080/13510347.2014.997716 · Cited by 135 · see citing works

Autocratic diffusion and cooperation: the impact of interests vs. ideology

Weyland, K. G. (2017) · Democratization · doi:10.1080/13510347.2017.1307823 · Cited by 131 · see citing works

Gravity centres of authoritarian rule: a conceptual approach

Kneuer, M., & Demmelhuber, T. (2015) · Democratization · doi:10.1080/13510347.2015.1018898 · Cited by 124 · see citing works

The limits of autocracy promotion: The case of Russia in the ‘near abroad’

Way, L. A. (2015) · European Journal of Political Research · doi:10.1111/1475-6765.12092 · Cited by 119 · see citing works

Beyond Autocracy Promotion: A Review

Yakouchyk, K. (2018) · Political Studies Review · doi:10.1177/1478929918774976 · Cited by 118 · see citing works

The noble west and the dirty rest? Western democracy promoters and illiberal regional powers

Börzel, T. A. (2015) · Democratization · doi:10.1080/13510347.2014.1000312 · Cited by 102 · see citing works

Propping up dictators? Economic cooperation from China and its impact on authoritarian persistence in party and non-party regimes

Bader, J. (2015) · European Journal of Political Research · doi:10.1111/1475-6765.12082 · Cited by 47 · see citing works

Hugo Chávez and the diffusion of Bolivarianism

de la Torre, C. (2017) · Democratization · doi:10.1080/13510347.2017.1307825 · Cited by 91 · see citing works

The limited reach of authoritarian powers

Brownlee, J. M. (2017) · Democratization · doi:10.1080/13510347.2017.1287175 · Cited by 90 · see citing works

The dark side of regionalism: how regional organizations help authoritarian regimes to boost survival

Debre, M. J. (2020) · Democratization · doi:10.1080/13510347.2020.1823970 · Cited by 86 · see citing works

Blogging Zhanaozen: hegemonic discourse and authoritarian resilience in Kazakhstan

Lewis, D. G. (2016) · Central Asian Survey · doi:10.1080/02634937.2016.1161902 · Cited by 80 · see citing works

Authoritarian legal harmonization in the post-Soviet space

Lemon, E., & Antonov, O. (2020) · Democratization · doi:10.1080/13510347.2020.1778671 · Cited by 60 · see citing works

Creating the enemy, constructing the threat: the diffusion of repression against the Muslim Brotherhood in the Middle East

Darwich, M. (2017) · Democratization · doi:10.1080/13510347.2017.1307824 · Cited by 56 · see citing works

“The transformative power of Europe” beyond enlargement: the EU’s performance in promoting democracy in its neighbourhood

Börzel, T. A., & Lebanidze, B. (2017) · East European Politics · doi:10.1080/21599165.2017.1280473 · Cited by 55 · see citing works

Global Astana: nation branding as a legitimization tool for authoritarian regimes

Fauve, A. (2015) · Central Asian Survey · doi:10.1080/02634937.2015.1016799 · Cited by 54 · see citing works

Russia and the question of world order

Götz, E., & Merlen, C.-R. (2018) · European Politics and Society · doi:10.1080/23745118.2018.1545181 · Cited by 52 · see citing works

The Wilsonian Bias in the Study of Russian Foreign Policy

Gunitsky, S., & Tsygankov, A. P. (2018) · Problems of Post-Communism · doi:10.1080/10758216.2018.1468270 · Cited by 51 · see citing works

The limits of authoritarian solidarity: The Gulf monarchies and preserving authoritarian rule during the Arab Spring

Odinius, D., & Kuntz, P. (2015) · European Journal of Political Research · doi:10.1111/1475-6765.12085 · Cited by 49 · see citing works

Strategies of legitimation in Central Asia: regime durability in Turkmenistan

Polese, A., Beacháin, D. Ó., & Horák, S. (2017) · Contemporary Politics · doi:10.1080/13569775.2017.1331391 · Cited by 49 · see citing works

International dimensions of electoral processes: Russia, the USA, and the 2016 elections

Ziegler, C. E. (2017) · International Politics · doi:10.1057/s41311-017-0113-1 · Cited by 44 · see citing works

Tutelage and Regime Survival in Regional Organizations’ Democracy Protection: The Case of MERCOSUR and UNASUR

Closa, C., & Palestini, S. (2018) · World Politics · doi:10.1017/s0043887118000035 · Cited by 31 · see citing works

“Bad enough governance”: state capacity and quality of institutions in post-Soviet autocracies

Melville, A. Y., & Mironyuk, M. (2015) · Post-Soviet Affairs · doi:10.1080/1060586x.2015.1052215 · Cited by 42 · see citing works

Assembling the Networks and Audiences of Disinformation: How Successful Russian IRA Twitter Accounts Built Their Followings, 2015–2017

Zhang, Y., Lukito, J., Su, M.-H., Suk, J., Xia, Y., Kim, S. J., Doroshenko, L., & Wells, C. (2021) · Journal of Communication · doi:10.1093/joc/jqaa042 · Cited by 41 · see citing works

Adaptive Peacebuilding

de Coning, C., Saraiva, R., & Muto, A. (2023) · Twenty-first Century Perspectives on War, Peace, and Human Conflict · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-18219-8 · Cited by 43 · see citing works

Great powers, civil society and authoritarian diffusion in Central Asia

Ziegler, C. E. (2016) · Central Asian Survey · doi:10.1080/02634937.2016.1228608 · Cited by 38 · see citing works

Disabling dissent: the colour revolutions, autocratic linkages, and civil society regulations in hybrid regimes

Gilbert, L., & Mohseni, P. (2018) · Contemporary Politics · doi:10.1080/13569775.2018.1471645 · Cited by 38 · see citing works

Democratic states and authoritarian firewalls: America as a black knight in the uprising in Bahrain

Ambrosio, T. (2014) · Contemporary Politics · doi:10.1080/13569775.2014.911497 · Cited by 34 · see citing works

Unintended Consequences of EU Democracy Support in the European Neighbourhood

Dandashly, A., & Noutcheva, G. (2019) · The International Spectator · doi:10.1080/03932729.2019.1554340 · Cited by 32 · see citing works

How do we tell authoritarian diffusion from illusion? Exploring methodological issues of qualitative research on authoritarian diffusion

Ambrosio, T., & Tolstrup, J. (2019) · Quality & Quantity · doi:10.1007/s11135-019-00892-8 · Cited by 32 · see citing works

Near Abroad: Russia’s Role in Post-Soviet Eurasia

Götz, E. (2022) · Europe Asia Studies · doi:10.1080/09668136.2022.2133086 · Cited by 32 · see citing works

The good, the bad, and the ambitious: democracy and autocracy promoters competing in Belarus

Yakouchyk, K. (2015) · European Political Science Review · doi:10.1017/s1755773914000459 · Cited by 26 · see citing works

Globalisation, Authoritarianism and the Post-Soviet State in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

Gallo, E. (2020) · Europe Asia Studies · doi:10.1080/09668136.2020.1761297 · Cited by 23 · see citing works

Understanding the foreign policy of autocratic actors: ideology or pragmatism? Russia and the Tymoshenko trial as a case study

Obydenkova, A., & Libman, A. (2014) · Contemporary Politics · doi:10.1080/13569775.2014.911500 · Cited by 23 · see citing works

The Limits of the “Democratic Coup” Thesis: International Politics and Post-Coup Authoritarianism: Table 1.

Tansey, O. (2016) · Journal of Global Security Studies · doi:10.1093/jogss/ogw009 · Cited by 21 · see citing works

Regional autocratic linkage and regime survival

Schmotz, A., & Tansey, O. (2017) · European Journal of Political Research · doi:10.1111/1475-6765.12243 · Cited by 19 · see citing works

Authoritarian Diffusion, or the Geopolitics of Self-Interest? Evidence from Russia’s Patron–Client Relations with Eurasia’sDe FactoStates

Kolstø, P. (2020) · Europe Asia Studies · doi:10.1080/09668136.2020.1806209 · Cited by 19 · see citing works

When Autocracies Have No Respect for the Nobel Prize

Shakhrai, I. (2016) · The Journal of Belarusian Studies · doi:10.30965/20526512-00801003 · Cited by 18 · see citing works

Is European enlargement policy a form of non-democracy promotion?

Pavlović, D. (2023) · Journal of International Relations and Development · doi:10.1057/s41268-022-00286-8 · Cited by 18 · see citing works

The West Against the Rest? Democracy Versus Autocracy Promotion in Venezuela

Gratius, S. (2021) · Bulletin of Latin American Research · doi:10.1111/blar.13243 · Cited by 20 · see citing works

How Autocrats Compete

Morse, Y. L. (2018) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108596817 · Cited by 25 · see citing works

Messaging Apps: A Rising Tool for Informational Autocrats

Trauthig, I. K., Martin, Z. C., & Woolley, S. (2023) · Political research quarterly · doi:10.1177/10659129231190932 · Cited by 13 · see citing works

Can non-democracies support international democracy? Turkey as a case study

Aydın‐Düzgit, S. (2019) · Third World Quarterly · doi:10.1080/01436597.2019.1636643 · Cited by 14 · see citing works

“Quo vadis Venezuela”: de la democracia delegativa al autoritarismo del siglo XXI

Chaguaceda, A., & Puerta, M. I. (2015) · Revista Mexicana de Análisis Político y Administración Pública · doi:10.15174/remap.v4i1.113 · Cited by 13 · see citing works

Promoting Democracy and Promoting Authoritarianism: Comparing the Cases of Belarus and Slovakia

Vanderhill, R. (2014) · Europe Asia Studies · doi:10.1080/09668136.2014.882621 · Cited by 12 · see citing works

Democratization by association? Brazil’s social policy cooperation in Africa

Abdenur, A. E., & Marcondes, D. (2016) · Cambridge Review of International Affairs · doi:10.1080/09557571.2015.1118996 · Cited by 12 · see citing works

Russia’s role in world politics: power, ideas, and domestic influences

Götz, E., & MacFarlane, N. (2018) · International Politics · doi:10.1057/s41311-018-0162-0 · Cited by 12 · see citing works

The EU and China in African Authoritarian Regimes

Hackenesch, C. (2018) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-63591-0 · Cited by 13 · see citing works

Giving a hand to autocrats: Are Russia’s high-level visits for authoritarian durability?

Balcı, A., & Aras, B. (2025) · Journal of Peace Research · doi:10.1177/00223433251318911 · Cited by 9 · see citing works

The Putin System: Russian Authoritarianism Today

Noriega, A. C. (2016) · Revista Mexicana de Análisis Político y Administración Pública · doi:10.15174/remap.v5i1.176 · Cited by 9 · see citing works

The Eurasian Economic Union – keeping up with the EU and China

Gast, A.-S. (2020) · Post-Communist Economies · doi:10.1080/14631377.2020.1827200 · Cited by 8 · see citing works

The Stopping Power of Sources

Driedger, J. J. (2023) · Analyse & Kritik · doi:10.1515/auk-2023-2006 · Cited by 7 · see citing works

Mimicking the Mad Printer: Legislating Illiberalism in Post-Soviet EurasiaPreprint

Waller, J. G. (2021) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.3836226 · Cited by 7 · see citing works

Learning from past experience: Yanukovych's implementation of authoritarianism after 2004

Hall, S. G. F. (2017) · Journal of Eurasian Studies · doi:10.1016/j.euras.2017.04.001 · Cited by 6 · see citing works

Exporting the Chavista Model: The Venezuelan Case for Autocracy Promotion in the Region

Kneuer, M. (2021) · Bulletin of Latin American Research · doi:10.1111/blar.13260 · Cited by 6 · see citing works

The Eurasian Economic Union in search of strategic partners: The gravity effects of integration blocs

Garashchuk, A., Podadera, R., & Castillo, F. I. (2021) · Panoeconomicus · doi:10.2298/pan190612008g · Cited by 6 · see citing works

Authoritarian collaboration and repression in the digital age: balancing foreign direct investment and control in internet infrastructure

Garbe, L., Maerz, S. F., & Freyburg, T. (2026) · Democratization · doi:10.1080/13510347.2024.2442377 · Cited by 5 · see citing works

Authoritarian Learning

Heydemann, S. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198871996.013.51 · Cited by 5 · see citing works

Russia’s Neighborhood Policy and Its Eurasian Client States: No Autocracy Export

Kolstø, P., & Blakkisrud, H. (2021) · Russia in Global Affairs · doi:10.31278/1810-6374-2021-19-2-38-62 · Cited by 5 · see citing works

Regímenes políticos y procesos desdemocratizadores en Nicaragua y Venezuela

Chaguaceda, A. (2015) · Perfiles Latinoamericanos · doi:10.18504/pl2345-005-2015 · Cited by 5 · see citing works

How oil autocracies learn to stop worrying: Central Eurasia in 2008 global financial crisis

Ahmadov, A. (2018) · Post-Soviet Affairs · doi:10.1080/1060586x.2018.1554943 · Cited by 5 · see citing works

Russia and the Question of World Order

Oskanian, K. K. (2020) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780367853419 · Cited by 5 · see citing works

Russian Norm Entrepreneurship in Crimea: Serious Contestation or Cheap Talk?Preprint

Jose, B., & Stefes, C. H. (2018) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.3163336 · Cited by 6 · see citing works

The EU, China, trade dependence and human rights

Kahn‐Nisser, S. (2019) · Cambridge Review of International Affairs · doi:10.1080/09557571.2019.1641067 · Cited by 4 · see citing works

Contemporary developments in Canadian democracy promotion and the way forward

Ladd, J. M. (2014) · Canadian Foreign Policy Journal · doi:10.1080/11926422.2014.934856 · Cited by 4 · see citing works

Unintended Consequences of EU External Action

(2020) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780429327001 · Cited by 3 · see citing works

Russia’s Wagner Group and the sustainment of authoritarianism in Africa: Implications for China at home and abroad

Spearin, C. (2025) · Contemporary Security Policy · doi:10.1080/13523260.2025.2474763 · Cited by 3 · see citing works

The COVID-19 temptation?

Demmelhuber, T., Gurol, J., & Zumbrägel, T. (2022) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9781003240044-3 · Cited by 3 · see citing works

The Specter of Echo Chambers—Public Diplomacy in the Age of Disinformation

Manor, I. (2019) · Palgrave Macmillan series in global public diplomacy · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-04405-3_5 · Cited by 3 · see citing works

From Reset to Restart: The US-Russia Cyclical Relationship in the Post-Cold War Era

Natalizia, G., & Valigi, M. (2020) · The International Spectator · doi:10.1080/03932729.2020.1745438 · Cited by 3 · see citing works

Developing best practices “against terrorists who protest”: Regional organizations as learning clubs for autocracies

Hall, S. G. F., & Debre, M. J. (2025) · Contemporary Security Policy · doi:10.1080/13523260.2025.2543625 · Cited by 2 · see citing works

Conceptualising autocracy promotion as commercialisation: marketising narratives and Chinese responses to central Asian protests

Sciorati, G. (2025) · European Journal of International Relations · doi:10.1177/13540661251371499 · Cited by 2 · see citing works

Bin Ali Authoritarianism and International Factors in Tunisia (1987-2008)

Dursun, H. R. (2021) · doi:10.12658/m0628 · Cited by 2 · see citing works

The Lingering Effect of Slavery and Colonial History on International Business: The Case of Sub-Saharan Africa

Wöcke, A., & Barnard, H. C. (2022) · Contributions to management science · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-06003-8_4 · Cited by 2 · see citing works

External Political Actors and Influences in the South Caucasus

Tarkhan‐Mouravi, G. (2016) · Sociology and Anthropology · doi:10.13189/sa.2016.040804 · Cited by 2 · see citing works

The patterns of Chinese authoritarian patronage and implications for foreign policy: Lessons from Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Cambodia

Hein, P. (2020) · Asian Journal of Comparative Politics · doi:10.1177/2057891119878517 · Cited by 2 · see citing works

The Art of “iWar”: Disinformation Campaign as a Strategy of Informational Autocracy PromotionPreprint

Chang, M.-C., Chang, C.-C., & Lin, T.-H. (2020) · doi:10.33774/apsa-2020-wkkll · Cited by 2 · see citing works

Contingent Authoritarian Regionalism: From Autocratic Regime Challenges to CSTO Collective Signaling?

Nasibov, M. (2025) · Problems of Post-Communism · doi:10.1080/10758216.2025.2540883 · Cited by 1 · see citing works

The Limits of Autocratic Collaboration in Stabilizing Spheres of Influence: Legitimacy in the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor

Lee, P. K., & Chan, L.-H. (2026) · Global Studies Quarterly · doi:10.1093/isagsq/ksag088 · Cited by 1 · see citing works

Anomalous authoritarianism: what, which, why?

Seeberg, M. A. (2016) · Commonwealth and Comparative Politics · doi:10.1080/14662043.2017.1230703 · Cited by 1 · see citing works

Keeping threat at arm’s length: counter-revolutionary interventions by third-party states in support of governments

Linebarger, C., Nichols, A. D., & Enterline, A. J. (2019) · Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict · doi:10.1080/17467586.2019.1622028 · Cited by 1 · see citing works

Preventive medicine: domestic repression and foreign revolutionary states

Linebarger, C. (2020) · Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict · doi:10.1080/17467586.2020.1821067 · Cited by 1 · see citing works

Authoritarian Practices as Accountability Sabotage

Glasius, M. (2023) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780192862655.003.0002 · Cited by 1 · see citing works

China’s Peacebuilding in South Sudan: “Top-down” Adaptation and Its Effectiveness

Hirono, M. (2023) · Twenty-first Century Perspectives on War, Peace, and Human Conflict · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-18219-8_9 · Cited by 1 · see citing works

Socialisme de Marché et Gouvernement des Campagnes en Biélorussie

Hervouet, R., Kurilo, A., & Shukan, I. (2017) · Revue d’études comparatives Est-Ouest · doi:10.3917/receo.481.0085

China y la (no) promoción de la autocracia: Aportes al debate sobre democracia y autoritarismo en el orden internacional

Telias, D. (2020) · Relaciones Internacionales · doi:10.15359/ri.93-2.5

Ruling Party Credibility and the Management of Elites

Morse, Y. L. (2018) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108596817.006

Credible Parties, International Patrons, and Electoral Authoritarian Competition

Morse, Y. L. (2018) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108596817.003

Ruling Party Credibility and the Sources of Voter Support

Morse, Y. L. (2018) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108596817.007

Gravitational pull of authoritarian China in South Asia?

Lagerkvist, J. (2021) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9781003042211-35

Außenpolitik

Harnisch, S. (2015) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-658-01968-6_28

Vergleichende Außenpolitikforschung

Harnisch, S. (2016) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-658-02338-6_68

Vergleichende Außenpolitikforschung

Harnisch, S. (2015) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-658-02993-7_68-1

Political Disinformation and Hate Speech on Facebook: the Attitude of Young Armenians Towards Modern Cyber Challenges

Melkonyan, V. (2022) · Journal of Political Science Bulletin of Yerevan University · doi:10.46991/jops/2022.1.1.040

Autokratisierung und internationale Politik

Libman, A. (2022) · Springer Reference Sozialwissenschaften · doi:10.1007/978-3-531-19954-2_60-1

Autocracy promotion in Latin America:

Monegol, R. (2022) · Revista Euro latinoamericana de Análisis Social y Político (RELASP) · doi:10.35305/rr.vi5.76

Susquehanna Chorale Spring Concert "Roots and Wings"

Hawkins, D. (2017)

A Comparison of Authoritarianism in the United States, England, and Hungary with Selected Nonrandom Samples

Pentony, J. F., Petersen, K. S. E., Philips, O., Leong, C., Harper, P., Bakowski, A., Steward, S., & Gonzales, R. (2000) · European Psychologist · doi:10.1027//1016-9040.5.4.259 · Cited by 17 · see citing works

Authoritarian Attitudes, Democracy, and Policy Preferences among Latin American Elites

Stevens, D. P., Bishin, B. G., & Barr, R. R. (2006) · American Journal of Political Science · doi:10.1111/j.1540-5907.2006.00204.x · Cited by 86 · see citing works

Editors' Introduction

Rosen, S., & Zou, G. (1990) · Chinese Sociology & Anthropology · doi:10.2753/csa0009-462523023 · Cited by 2 · see citing works

Giving the People a Voice? Experiments with consultative authoritarian institutions in China

He, B., & Thøgersen, S. (2010) · Journal of Contemporary China · doi:10.1080/10670564.2010.485404 · Cited by 211 · see citing works