Elections Without Democracy: The Menu of Manipulation

Issue Date April 2002
Volume 13
Issue 2
Page Numbers 36-50
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Read the full essay here.

Elections, usually taken to be a hallmark of democracy, can also become a tool of authoritarian powerholders seeking to legitimate their rule.

About the Author

Andreas Schedler is professor of political science at CIDE in Mexico City. His most recent book is The Politics of Uncertainty: Sustaining and Subverting Electoral Authoritarianism (2013). At present, he is conducting public-opinion research on organized violence in Mexico.

View all work by Andreas Schedler

Further Reading

Volume 33, Issue 2

The Long Game: The Opposition Wins in Honduras

The country’s opposition beat an authoritarian incumbent by unifying, organizing its supporters, and contesting every election no matter the odds. Can the strategy be applied elsewhere?

Volume 24, Issue 3

Latin America’s Authoritarian Drift: The Threat from the Populist Left

The left-populist authoritarianism that is taking hold across a swath of Latin America bears many resemblances to the rightist populism that was once widespread in the region. There are signs, however,…

Volume 23, Issue 4

School for Dictators

A review of The Dictator’s Learning Curve: Inside the Global Battle for Democracy by William J. Dobson