The Role of Mediocre Employees in Authoritarian Regimes

Research reveals how mediocre employees help would-be authoritarians maintain power. Historical examples include Russia’s Vladimir V. Putin relying on oligarchs and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards supporting the regime. Similarly, Viktor Orban turned Hungary into an ‘elected autocracy’ with the backing of judges, political enforcers, and tycoons. These leaders depend not just on elites but also on numerous lower- and midlevel personnel, such as military officers, secret police, and bureaucrats.

Until now, the focus has been mostly on elite loyalty. Studies assumed rank and file cooperation arose from ideological extremism or fear. However, recent data from Argentina’s Dirty War suggests career pressures drive lower- and midlevel officials to engage in unethical actions.

The desire for career progress, such as obtaining minor promotions, can lead staff to violate professional norms and morality. These individuals, described as ‘career-pressured’, are not extremists or victims, but average workers seeking advancement.

A new book, Making a Career in Dictatorship, by German political scientists Adam Scharpf and Christian Glassel, examines Argentina’s military during periods of coups and disappearances. It highlights that low-performing individuals filled the secret police ranks, circumventing traditional hierarchies for promotions they couldn’t achieve elsewhere.

This research suggests authoritarian regimes succeed without ideological believers, extreme incentives, or harsh punishments. Targeting frustrated, mediocre workers suffices for power consolidation.