Career ambition, not ideology, fueled Argentine dirty war abuses, study finds

Authoritarian regimes often rely on more than just ideological extremists or fear to maintain power. New research, drawing on extensive data from Argentina's 1970s dirty war, suggests that the desire for career advancement among lower- and mid-level officials can be a powerful motivator for committing abuses.

The study, detailed in the book "Making a Career in Dictatorship" by Adam Scharpf and Christian Glassel, challenges the long-held assumption that such individuals act solely out of ideological fervor or fear of persecution. Instead, it posits that ordinary workers seeking to revive stalled careers or gain minor promotions may be incentivized to violate professional ethics, moral standards, and basic decency.

Researchers found that individuals with "career pressures" were disproportionately represented in the secret police. This role allowed them to deviate from the standard military hierarchy and achieve promotions they might not have otherwise secured. The book likens this phenomenon to a blend of Hannah Arendt's "banality of evil" and a business guide for managing underperformers.

This suggests that aspiring autocrats do not necessarily need to recruit true believers or impose extreme measures. Instead, they can consolidate power by identifying and leveraging the ambitions of frustrated or mediocre individuals. The research has implications for understanding how authoritarianism takes root and persists in various countries worldwide.