How to be a suvivor..succession strategies (Communist Regimes)
Maintain the authoritarian Status Quo
Top leader must transfer his personalistic political authority to a legitimizing entity, such as the party or a family.
Is necessary follow a set of rules to reduce the risk of destabilizing elite conflict.
Political leadership
The individual was the most influential person, the leaders were constantly engage to consolidate power through of “circular flow" of power.
Example:Vladimir Lenin
Dynastic succession
Example: China and Vietnam :They are suvivors because they are economically globally engaged
Minimize and contain intra-elite competition
Do it by following four rules
4.Abide by the code
Be discreet about one’s ambitions in succession politics
3. Share the spoils.
"Everybody gets something", elite actors must be given concrete incentives to continue to support the regime
2. Keep the military close
Leadership candidates should be well known to and trusted by the state’s coercive elites
1. Know the succesor
The candidate should be known and trusted within the ruling elite in three ways: position, policy and personality
Personality: Style of rule
Policy: Knowing a priori the reform preferences of the candidate
Position: First-hand experience
Avoid the crisis of leadership
"The succession period is conducive to sudden switches in policy and offers a high potential for disrupting the inertia characteristic of the way the business of government was conducted.”
Pattern of civil-military relations
"The military tended to be subordinate to civilian party leadership".
Corporatist succession
Example: Cuba and North Corea
