November 14, 2020
Neither Free Nor Fair? “To Coup or Not to Coup” with Victor Menaldo (crossover episode)
Guest: Victor Menaldo, Professor of Political Science at the University of Washington & Co-Founder of the Political Economy Forum.
Victor Menaldo joins James for the episode “To Coup or Not to Coup.”
Citizens, the media, and political elites have reached this fever pitch of worry about the transition to a new presidential administration. Donald Trump has refused to concede the race and many Republicans in elected office have not yet congratulated Biden/Harris on their win. Trump continues to pursue legal cases to stop the count, none of which thus far have been successful. Many have expressed concern over the last week that the president is attempting a “coup,” or “auto-coup,” or that he can steal this election, declare himself the winner, and prevent a peaceful transfer of power.
Such concerns, while certainly anxiety producing, really have no grounding in an understanding of US law or history, and are learning the wrong lessons from countries that have experienced coups.
Victor and James discuss Victor’s research, particularly from Latin America, on transitions between authoritarian and democratic regime types, the role of elites and citizens in those processes, where and why coups occur, and how this applies to the presidential transition underway in the US.
Other related work mentioned in the podcast and some additional links:
Victor’s excellent book, Authoritarianism and the Elite Origins of Democracy, co-authored with Michael Albertus.
The Political Economy Forum podcast series with episodes featuring Victor, James, and other Forum members.
You can find this episode on our “Neither Free Nor Fair?” series on Anchor, or directly on iTunes, Spotify, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Radio Public, or on Soundcloud. You can also find us by opening your podcast app and searching “Neither Free Nor Fair?” Please subscribe, rate us, and leave us a review!
https://soundcloud.com/political-economy-forum-at-university-of-washington/to-coup-or-not-to-coup
