Title: An Empirical Investigation on Repression in Sub-Saharan Africa
Author: Sanna Nurmikko
Paper number 1210
Abstract
We carry out an empirical investigation on previous theoretical work that focuses on repression as a mechanism for an authoritarian leader to enhance his chances of re-election. We test the theoretical predictions with data on Sub-Saharan Africa in 1981-2006. We find that foreign aid and military expenditure are positively associated with the emergence of political violence, while restrictions on the executive powers are negatively related to the probability of repression. Finally, the age of the leader does not exercise any influence on an African leader's decision to engage in violent suppression of his political competitors.