The Role of Civil Society in Competitive Authoritarian Legitimation Strategies: An Analysis of Venezuela and Bolivia

An increasing amount of research analyzes the ways that various forms of hybrid regimes maintain stability in the face of regular elections and other domestic and international pressures. Within this literature, scholars emphasize three primary pillars of stability: repression, co-optation, and legitimation. While a significant amount of recent work has examined the role of repression and co-optation, legitimation has been largely put aside. Yet, scholars recognize the importance of legitimacy for regime stability. My research aims to contribute to our understanding of this third pillar through a qualitative analysis of the role of civil society in competitive authoritarian legitimation strategies. I focus on two recent cases in Latin America: Venezuela under Hugo Chávez and Bolivia under Evo Morales.Master of Art