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Democracy, Dictatorship, and Term Limits
Alexander BaturoA national constitution or other statute typically specifies restrictions on executive power, often including a limit to the number of terms the chief executive may hold office. In recent decades, however, some presidents of newly established democracies have extended their tenure by various semilegal means, thereby raising the specter—and in some cases creating the reality—of dictatorship.
Alexander Baturo tracks adherence to and defiance of presidential term limits in all types of regimes (not only democratic regimes) around the world since 1960. Drawing on original data collection and fieldwork to investigate the factors that encourage playing by or manipulating the rules, he asks what is at stake for the chief executive if he relinquishes office. 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 executive power and also to political theorists.
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Cover
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Title
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Copyright
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Dedication
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Contents
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List of Tables
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List of Figures
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Acknowledgments
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1 Introduction: Term Limits and the New Caesarism
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2 Term Limits in Historical Perspective
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3 Continuismo in Comparison: From a Few More Years to a Presidency for Life
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4 The Costs and Benefits of Leaving Presidential Office
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5 The Stakes of Losing Office in Comparison
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6 Endogenous Term Limits: Statistical Analyses
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7 Personal Background of Presidents and Constitutional Compliance
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8 Effects of Presidential Term Limits
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9 Conclusion: Presidentialism, Democracy, and Term Limits
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Appendix: Continuismo and Constitutions
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Notes
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References
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Index
- 978-0-472-12023-9 (ebook)
- 978-0-472-11931-8 (hardcover)