Book Project
When former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet died, mourners flooded the streets. At the time, Pinochet was awaiting trial for his role in the deaths of 3,000 people and the torture of 30,000 more. While literature on repression focuses on its role in suppressing political opposition, many dictators - like Pinochet - rely on the support of segments of the population to maintain power. How does the need to maintain a backing coalition impact the practice of repression? My book project demonstrates that repression serves not just to eliminate opposition, but to appeal to supporters. Violence and censorship can be used to demonstrate the efficacy of authoritarian governance - and the inadequacy of democratic rule of law - in managing perceived social and political threats to dictators' backing coalitions. However, this relies on supporters viewing repression as a proportionate response. Original data on political killings, detention, exile, search and seizure, and pop culture censorship in Chile provide evidence that the anticipated responses of supporters significantly shaped patterns of repression.
When former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet died, mourners flooded the streets. At the time, Pinochet was awaiting trial for his role in the deaths of 3,000 people and the torture of 30,000 more. While literature on repression focuses on its role in suppressing political opposition, many dictators - like Pinochet - rely on the support of segments of the population to maintain power. How does the need to maintain a backing coalition impact the practice of repression? My book project demonstrates that repression serves not just to eliminate opposition, but to appeal to supporters. Violence and censorship can be used to demonstrate the efficacy of authoritarian governance - and the inadequacy of democratic rule of law - in managing perceived social and political threats to dictators' backing coalitions. However, this relies on supporters viewing repression as a proportionate response. Original data on political killings, detention, exile, search and seizure, and pop culture censorship in Chile provide evidence that the anticipated responses of supporters significantly shaped patterns of repression.
Working Papers
The Audience of Repression: Killings and Disappearances in Pinochet's Chile (Under review) [pdf]
Pop Culture Censorship and Authoritarian Stability [pdf]
Anticipating Dissent: The Repression of Politicians in Pinochet's Chile [pdf]
Explaining Misperceptions of Crime (with Jonathan Mummolo) [url]
Elite Persistence and Regime Change in Chile (with Adriane Fresh, working paper available upon request)
The Audience of Repression: Killings and Disappearances in Pinochet's Chile (Under review) [pdf]
Pop Culture Censorship and Authoritarian Stability [pdf]
Anticipating Dissent: The Repression of Politicians in Pinochet's Chile [pdf]
Explaining Misperceptions of Crime (with Jonathan Mummolo) [url]
Elite Persistence and Regime Change in Chile (with Adriane Fresh, working paper available upon request)
Projects in Progress
Text Analysis of Spanish Political Prisoner Trials
The Career Impact of Blacklists
Text Analysis of Spanish Political Prisoner Trials
The Career Impact of Blacklists
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Democracy’s Effect on Terrorist Organizations: Regime Type and Armed Group Behavior in Chile. 2015. Terrorism and Political Violence 27 (2) [url]
Democracy’s Effect on Terrorist Organizations: Regime Type and Armed Group Behavior in Chile. 2015. Terrorism and Political Violence 27 (2) [url]
Other Publications
In Transition to Civilian Rule, Myanmar Can Learn from Chile. 2013. World Politics Review [url]
Reviving American Leadership (with Bruce Jones and Thomas Wright). Campaign 2012, ed. Benjamin Wittes (Brookings Institution Press 2012) [url]
In Transition to Civilian Rule, Myanmar Can Learn from Chile. 2013. World Politics Review [url]
Reviving American Leadership (with Bruce Jones and Thomas Wright). Campaign 2012, ed. Benjamin Wittes (Brookings Institution Press 2012) [url]
Movie posters, original and censored by Franco, from La censura franquista en el cartel de cine.
