Regime spoiler or regime pawn: The military and distributional conflict in non-democracies

Distributional conflict among a ruling class, the military, and citizens. * The military's loyalty is different in different equilibria. * Increase in natural resources can make the citizens worse off. * Other results are discussed. I consider a model in which an autocrat can be removed from power either through a military coup or a revolution by the citizens. In the event of a revolt by the citizens, the military may choose to support the autocrat to crush the revolt or play a passive role. The autocrat determines the distribution of the country's wealth among himself, the military, and the c... Mehr ...