SOAS Research Online

A Free Database of the Latest Research by SOAS Academics and PhD Students

[skip to content]

Yabanci, Bilge, Akkoyunlu, Karabekir and Öktem, Kerem (2025) 'Limits of autocratisation: actors and institutions of democratic resistance and opposition.' Third World Quarterly, 46 (2). pp. 97-116.

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

As autocratisation gains global momentum, research on democratic resistance has expanded significantly. This introductory article to Limits of Autocratisation examines the actors, institutions, and practices that challenge, resist, or inadvertently enable autocratisation. It develops a framework for understanding opposition(s) across political, civic, and transnational dimensions. Rather than viewing autocratisation as linear, we conceptualise it as an uneven and contested process in which opposition actors navigate multiple constraints to hinder, disrupt, or potentially reverse autocratic advances. The article explores key questions guiding this volume’s case studies from countries at various stages of autocratisation: Which actors and institutions seek to limit autocratisation? What structural, institutional, and agency-related barriers do they face? How do they strategise to overcome these challenges? Rather than proposing universal solutions, we advance a nuanced theorisation of opposition(s) and resistance that accounts for structural conditions, timing, and strategic agency in shaping responses across divergent contexts. The article cautions against simplistic definitions of success or failure when theorising resistance and opposition to autocratisation, emphasising the fluid, contested, and ongoing nature of autocratisation. Ultimately, we propose a context-sensitive yet versatile framework for studying autocratisation’s limits by integrating regional contexts, interdisciplinary and comparative insights, and historical trajectories.

Item Type: Journal Article
Keywords: Autocratisation, democratic resilience, opposition strategies, political contestation, civic resistance, transnational networks
SOAS Departments & Centres: Departments and Subunits > Department of Politics & International Studies
ISSN: 01436597
DOI (Digital Object Identifier): https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2025.2462248
SWORD Depositor: JISC Publications Router
Date Deposited: 29 Mar 2025 08:53
URI: https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/id/eprint/43648

Altmetric Data

Statistics

Download activity - last 12 monthsShow export options
Downloads since deposit
6 month trend
0Downloads
6 month trend
4Hits
Accesses by country - last 12 monthsShow export options
Accesses by referrer - last 12 monthsShow export options

Repository staff only

Edit Item Edit Item