When the Dicator 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.