Migration and informational autocracy

M. Christian Lehmann

Journal of Population Economics, 2025, vol. 38, issue 1, No 12, 22 pages

Abstract: Abstract Recent research shows that contemporary autocracies differ from their predecessors: Rather than deterring opposition through violent repression (Dictatorship of Fear), most autocrats today pretend to be democratic and rely on propaganda and co-optation of the educated elite (Informational Autocracy). How this new form of autocracy emerged is not fully understood. My theory is that more emigration opportunities for the educated elite were a contributing factor. The theory suggests that immigration policies of high-income countries in favor of educated foreigners, such as the H-1B visa in the United States, can have ambivalent effects on democratization in foreigners’ origin countries—promoting a transition from Dictatorship of Fear to Informational Autocracy but obstructing the transition to Democracy. The theory also illuminates why Dictators of Fear often restrict emigration while Informational Autocrats do not. Finally, it provides a novel explanation for the “economic growth failures” of autocracies.

Keywords: Migration; Refugees; Political violence; Democracy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D72 D74 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s00148-025-01067-6

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