self-coup: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low frequencyAcademic, Political, Journalistic
Quick answer
What does “self-coup” mean?
An action in which a democratically elected leader seizes absolute power or unlawfully dissolves the legislative and judicial branches of government to extend their own rule.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An action in which a democratically elected leader seizes absolute power or unlawfully dissolves the legislative and judicial branches of government to extend their own rule.
A subversion of the constitutional order by the very person or group in power, typically involving the suspension of the constitution, dissolution of parliament, the supreme court, and other institutions to rule by decree.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in usage. The term is equally understood in both political discourse.
Connotations
Identical connotations of political illegitimacy and democratic breakdown.
Frequency
Equally rare in both varieties, appearing almost exclusively in political science and current affairs commentary.
Grammar
How to Use “self-coup” in a Sentence
[Leader] staged a self-coup in [Year].The move was widely seen as a self-coup.The self-coup involved dissolving [Institution].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “self-coup” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The president was accused of attempting to self-coup.
- The regime self-couped in a dramatic overnight session.
American English
- The governor's critics warned he was laying the groundwork to self-coup.
- The administration effectively self-couped by ignoring judicial orders.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Extremely rare. May appear in risk analysis for political instability in a country.
Academic
Primary context. Used in political science, comparative politics, and history.
Everyday
Very rare. Would only appear in discussions of major international news.
Technical
A precise political science term for a specific form of democratic breakdown.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “self-coup”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “self-coup”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “self-coup”
- Using 'self-coup' to describe a simple policy U-turn or a non-constitutional power struggle within a ruling party.
- Confusing it with 'palace coup', which is a takeover from within the ruling elite, not necessarily by the head of state.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not exactly. Martial law is a temporary suspension of ordinary law, often for security reasons. A self-coup is a permanent or long-term seizure of all state power, usually ending democratic governance.
By its standard definition, a self-coup is an extralegal or unconstitutional act. While leaders may use legalistic justifications (e.g., a state of emergency), the goal of consolidating absolute power violates democratic constitutional principles.
Ruling by decree can be a temporary or constitutional measure. A self-coup is the specific act of using force or unconstitutional means to dissolve other branches of government to *enable* permanent rule by decree.
The term gained prominence after Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori's 1992 auto-golpe. Many key historical examples occurred in Latin America, making the Spanish-derived term common in political science literature.
An action in which a democratically elected leader seizes absolute power or unlawfully dissolves the legislative and judicial branches of government to extend their own rule.
Self-coup is usually academic, political, journalistic in register.
Self-coup: in British English it is pronounced /ˌself ˈkuː/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌself ˈkuː/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[A leader] pulling the ladder up behind them.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: SELFish COUP – the leader grabs power for THEMSELF, not for a new group.
Conceptual Metaphor
POLITICAL POWER IS A POSSESSION to be seized; DEMOCRACY IS A BUILDING that can be dismantled from the inside.
Practice
Quiz
What is the key distinguishing feature of a 'self-coup'?