Lunch Seminar: Nicola Fontana - Trinity College Dublin
2025-03-28 13:00 - 14:00 UTC
When the Dictator is in Town

Abstract:
Do dictators need aligned bureaucrats? We examine the impact of exposure to the autocratic leader on one key tool at dictatorships? disposal to maintain power: repression. Focusing on Italy?s Fascist dictatorship (1926-1939), the paper utilizes newly gathered data on visits by Mussolini. Using the temporal and geographical variation of these visits in a staggered difference-in-differences framework, we show that a visit by Mussolini significantly increased repression. The results suggest a top-down mechanism, driven by increased policing and allocation of bureaucrats aligned with the regime?s goals.
