When autocratization backfires : how overreach sparked mass resistance in Thailand and Bangladesh

Abstract

Autocratization is typically characterized by executive aggrandizement and elite capture of key institutions, leading to systematic restriction of political competition, independent media, and civil society. Conventional analyses often emphasize the suppressive aspect of these processes, highlighting the erosion of civil society space and the curtailment of effective collective action. However, this article contends that autocratic overreach can inadvertently create the conditions for mass mobilization, posing significant risks to autocratized regimes. This argument is developed through an analysis of anti-government protests in Thailand (2020) and Bangladesh (2024), which illustrate a dual mechanism of autocratic blowback: institutional overreach and brutal repression. Together, these dynamics provoked widespread grievances, galvanized mass protest participation, and generated openings for democratic resurgence. By examining these cases, the article contributes to the growing literature on democratic resilience and calls for greater scholarly attention to the interactive processes between autocratization and resistance.