All political systems, including authoritarian regimes, rely on the allegiance of key organizations and institutions, or ‘pillars of support’ to remain in power. Without the moral and material resources provided by these pillars, authoritarian regimes lose their power.
Below are some illustrative examples.
Faith leaders can pull their moral authority from the regime.
Businesses can channel support away from the regime and into pro-democracy efforts.
Unions can mobilize their members to protect democracy.
Lawyers and judges can challenge anti-democratic policies in the court.
Veterans can use their respected status to speak out about abuses of power.
When pillars and institutions withdraw or redirect their support, authoritarian power weakens. These ‘loyalty shifts’—where previous regime supporters significantly and substantively decrease their level of support—are critical to democratic change. As in all nonviolent campaigns, the goal is not to eliminate one’s opponent but rather to bring them into the pro-democracy front.
In partnership with the University of Dallas at Texas and Johns Hopkins University’s SNF Agora Institute, Horizons seeks a deeper understanding of when and why loyalty shifts occur. This is central to strengthening a broad-front pro-democracy ecosystem, one that enables these shifts and makes room for those invested in strengthening democracy.
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