Italo Sposito @italosposito.bsky.social · 28/01/2026Are "Presidential Breakdowns" the new coups? In my latest piece in the @jplaeditor.bsky.social of @giga-hamburg.de, I explore why some interruptions of presidential mandates are seen as legitimate while others are labelled as "neo-coups." 133
Italo Sposito @italosposito.bsky.social · 28/01/2026While traditional military coups have declined in Latin America, "Presidential Breakdowns" (PBs)—the premature end of a mandate without regime collapse—are frequent. But why are cases like Rousseff (that was not a formal coup) so contested? I propose a new framework to find out 100
Italo Sposito @italosposito.bsky.social · 28/01/2026I developed a three-dimensional typology of social legitimacy for PBs. It looks at: 1️⃣ Quasi-vertical accountability (Elections/Protests) 2️⃣ Horizontal accountability (Removal mechanism) 3️⃣ Ideological switching (Caretaker vs. Predecessor). 100
