Political Opposition in Authoritarianism

Rico Isaacs is Professor of International Politics at the University of Lincoln, UK. His research interests lay at the intersection of authoritarianism, culture and political theory in post-Soviet states with a particular focus on the Central Asian Republics. He is the author of Film and Identity in Kazakhstan (2018) and Party System Formation in Kazakhstan: Between Formal and Informal Politics (2011), as well as authoring several co-edited volumes, including most recently The Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Central Asia (with Erica Marat, 2021) and a Critical Reader in Central Asian Studies (2022). Rico is also the current serving editor of Central Asian Survey.

“Isaacs’ book is recommended for everyone interested in the politics of Kazakhstan. It provides a broad picture of developments within the political regime, rich empirical descriptions and an overview of the relevant literature. At the same time, it contributes to the broader conceptual and theoretical literature with a concise typology of political opposition in authoritarian regimes and with an important causal mechanism explaining the relationship between political regimes and opposition movements over time.” (Heiko Pleines, Europe-Asia Studies, August 31, 2023)

• 1. Introduction: Authoritarian Institutions, Regimes and Political Opposition.- 2. Defining, Conceptualising and Theorising Opposition-Regime Relations in Authoritarian Regimes.- 3. Exit, Voice, Loyalty: An Analytical Framework for Opposition Agency in Authoritarian Regimes.- 4. The Development of a Personalist-Authoritarianism Regime in Kazakhstan.- 5. Exit, Voice and Loyalty: Opposition Strategies and Choice from above in Kazakhstan.- 6. Non-Oligarchic Public Voice in Kazakhstan from Below 2011-2022.- 7. Conclusion.