The Politics of Social Spending in Authoritarian Regimes

This article investigates the political determinants of social spending in authoritarian regimes. The theoretical argument builds on the assumption that dictators utilise social benefits and services as a tool to acquire political consensus. However, I argue that not all dictators face similar incentives to distribute social policy concessions; these incentives ultimately rest on the presence of de jure multiparty elections and the political ideology of the regime. The empirical analysis reveals that, while there is no effect of de jure multiparty elections and ruling coalition size, authoritarian regimes legitimizing their position in power through a left-wing ideology are associated with higher levels of social spending. I conclude that political ideology is a key driver of social spending in authoritarian regimes. Thus, further attention should be devoted to legitimation strategies, rather than political institutions, when analysing policy decisions in authoritarian contexts.