Forging Autocratic Coalitions: Legacies of War in Upland Laos

• In Event: Political Mobilization and State Formation in Postcolonial Societies

Abstract

Existing theories of authoritarian politics, concerned with factors like institutions and regime resilience, do not shed much light on political and economic inequalities within authoritarian countries. To make sense of these inequalities, we must better understand social coalition building in autocracies. This paper argues that, in some cases, war has been a pivotal moment in autocratic coalition formation. Using original data on family histories from upland Laos as well as data on school-building, I find that higher levels of wartime mobilization in the 1960s and 1970s are associated with better political and economic outcomes today. This history of incorporation was also central to the creation of national minority cultural identity. Results suggest that, even in autocratic contexts, political incorporation promotes economic development. The coalitional effects of violent, revolutionary conflict might be underappreciated in many countries around the world.

Author

• Shourya Sen, Princeton University