The Road to Repression

The Road to Repression examines the reason why some dictatorships that embrace economic liberalization continue to perpetrate violent state repression, against the expectations of many at the end of the 20th century. Analyzing systems around the world--from Southeast Asia to West Africa to Latin America--Jos Kaire emphasizes the importance of the relationship between the ruling elites, who want to maintain their power and therefore the status quo, and the dictator, who must appease the elites or risk a coup. Kaire shows that because of this dynamic, economic liberalization is a double-edged sword, and that economic and political freedoms may not always make a harmonious pair.