Democracy, Dictatorship, and Term Limits

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Democracy, Dictatorship, and Term Limits When do elected incumbent leaders accept democratic rules, and when are they willing to manipulate these rules raising the specter — and in some cases creating the reality — of dictatorship? Many ambitious presidents throughout the world attempt to circumvent restrictions on the executive power. Yet, if these leaders have to surrender all these powers and step down, as stipulated by presidential term limits, then dictators they are not. In this book, Alexander Baturo examines the onset of personalism — the breakdown of term limits — in democratic, partly democratic, and even nondemocratic regimes around the world since 1960. Investigating the factors that encourage playing by the rules or manipulating those same rules, Baturo asks what is at stake for the chief executive if he relinquishes office. The argument centers on the costs and benefits of leaving office at the end of the president’s term. Drawing on original data collection and fieldwork, Baturo finds that the income-generating capacity of political office in states where rent-seeking is prevalent, as well as concerns over future immunity and status, determines whether or not an executive attempts to retain power beyond the mandated period. Democracy, Dictatorship, and Term Limits will appeal to scholars of democratization and presidentialism as well as political theorists. Alexander Baturo is Lecturer in International Relations at Dublin City University and a member of the Center for International Studies. Democracy, Dictatorship, and Term Limits Alexander Baturo The University of Michigan Press Ann Arbor Copyright © by the University of Michigan 2014 All rights reserved This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, including illustrations , in any form (beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press), without written permission from the publisher. Published in the United States of America by The University of Michigan Press Manufactured in the United States of America ∞ Printed on acid-free paper 2017 2016 2015 2014 4 3 2 1 A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN 978-0-472-11931-8 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN 978-0-472-12023-9 (e-book) Library of Congress Cataloging-­ in-­ Publication Data Baturo, Alexander.    Democracy, dictatorship, and term limits / Alexander Baturo.     pages    cm. —­(New comparative politics)    Includes bibliographical references and index.    ISBN 978-­0-­472-­11931-­8 (cloth : alk. paper) —­ ISBN 978-­0-­472-­12023-­9 (e-­book)    1. Democracy—­ Case studies. 2. Dictatorship—­ Case studies. I. Title. JC423.B2637  2014 321.8—­dc23 2013033839 To Natalie, Alisa, and Philip ...