The Shackles of the Past? How Authoritarian Successor Parties Shape Political and Economic Dynamics in Nascent Democracies

Authoritarian successor parties (ASPs) are defined as former ruling parties or parties newly created by high-level authoritarian incumbents in preceding ruling parties in response to democratic transitions. ASPs exhibit considerable variation in the electoral performance, which may influence democratic politics. In Zambia, the electoral weakness of the United National Independence Party enabled the new president Frederick Chiluba to pass a constitutional amendment that prevented the most important opposition candidate from running for presidency. The triumph of the Romanian Socialist Party in the 2016 parliamentary election led its rival party, which had won the country’s presidency, to engage in a confrontation on judicial reform. The KMT’s strong electoral performance in Taiwan prompted its competitor to employ public resources to undermine the KMT’s clientelism. Thus, the electoral performance of ASPs may determine political and social-economic outcomes.
Scholars have primarily examined how ASPs influence democratic survival. Empirically, most past work has focused on a small number of cases in specific regions or a particular type of ASP, and there is mixed evidence. Existing research also confirms that successful ASPs can shape countries’ party systems, providing order and meaning to electoral competition. However, the interplay of ASPs and their opponents remains unclear, especially on how ASPs shape the inner dynamics of parties opposed to them. Furthermore, there exists a dearth of research examining the impact of ASPs’ electoral performance on policy-making, budget allocation, legislative effectiveness, democratic governance, and other socio-economic outcomes. Lastly, the majority of research is conducted outside of a crisis framework.
The panel aims to provide fresh perspectives on how the electoral performance of ASPs influences the political and social-economic outcomes of democratic regimes. The panel contributes to the Congress theme by highlighting the role of ASPs in democratic politics. We cordially invite papers that address, but are not limited to, the following issues: (1) the definition, measurement, and database of ASPs; (2) strategies that ASPs use in their interactions with other parties; (3) ASPs and party system dynamics; (4) the socio-economic consequences of ASPs’ electoral performance; (5) the impact of ASPs on the functioning of democratic politics in times of crisis.