Why is leadership succession highly institutionalized in some polities but not in others? We propose that the size of the polity constitutes a key explanatory factor. Specifically, we argue that an institutionalized process of succession is more likely to be adopted in larger polities because there are more elite actors vying for power, making it difficult for a single actor to consolidate power, hold it indefinitely, and pass it on to his heirs. To test this argument, we construct a global index centering on observable features of leadership succession. The index, drawing on data from the Archigos project, covers most sovereign countries from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. A battery of cross-national tests shows a positive and robust association between polity size and the institutionalization of leadership succession.

中文翻译：

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政体规模与领导继任制度化

为什么领导继任在某些政体中高度制度化，而在其他政体中则不然？我们建议政体的规模构成一个关键的解释因素。具体而言，我们认为制度化的继任过程更有可能在更大的政体中被采用，因为有更多的精英行为者争夺权力，使得单一行为者难以巩固、无限期地持有权力并将其传递给他的权力。继承人。为了验证这一论点，我们构建了一个以领导继任的可观察特征为中心的全球指数。该指数基于 Archigos 项目的数据，涵盖了从 19 世纪中叶到现在的大多数主权国家。一系列跨国测试表明，政体规模与领导层继任制度化之间存在积极而有力的关联。