Assessing the impact of violent conflict on attitudes toward military rule in Nigeria
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Taylor and Francis
Abstract
Violent conflict is often assumed to undermine democratic legitimacy and increase public support for authoritarian alternatives. Yet, empirical evidence remains limited, particularly in the context of developing democracies. Using the case of Nigeria, Africa’s largest democracy, this study examines the effect of violent conflict on attitudes toward military rule. It employs an instrumental variable strategy that leverages proximity to international borders as a source of exogenous variation in conflict exposure. Contrary to conventional expectations, findings indicate that individuals exposed to higher levels of violence are significantly less likely to support military rule. These results are robust to alternative operationalizations of violent conflict. Further analysis reveals that reduced support for military rule among individuals exposed to violence does not automatically translate into greater support for democracy. This study hence contributes to broader debates on regime legitimacy and authoritarian attitudes in fragile states.
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as Attribution 4.0 International