The sudden, forcible, and illegal seizing of power in a country by one or more military groups. Coup d’etats have significant short- and long-term consequences for governance, economies, and human rights. They are generally a result of immediate, often specific grievances rather than broad political discontent and tend to involve focusing on executive powers (such as the president or prime minister) rather than an entire governmental apparatus. They can also stoke political instability, lead to wars and other forms of violent conflict, cause human rights abuses, and perpetuate cycles of coup d’etat with fragile institutions.
While some people may initially appreciate a Coup d’etat that sweeps away corrupt and abusive leaders, many begin to turn against it soon after, particularly if the new military government is seen as a dictatorship or is engaging in prolonged ‘transitions’ to democracy that exacerbate existing divisions. Furthermore, even when a coup is successful, the underlying problems that led to it are likely to remain.
A country’s economic status is a major predictor of its susceptibility to coup d’etat. Poorer nations have more social unrest, making them easier targets for a small group to use violence to take control of the government. In addition, these countries often have centralized power, and heavily-secured facilities (such as palaces, military headquarters, and police command centers) that can be used to grant revolutionaries physical control. These conditions make them a tempting target for a coup d’etat, and help explain why four of the five most impoverished nations in the world have experienced coups in recent years.