Military coup is when armed forces take over the government. While scholars discuss a variety of reasons why and when coups occur, including domestic power dynamics and systems of government (like presidential versus parliamentary), most agree that they tend to happen in environments where the military has a powerful interest, the capacity to pursue it, no legitimate opponent, and a degree of popular support.
While a revolution may entail large-scale social, economic, and political change, a coup typically involves the sudden replacement of key government personnel. Civilians play a critical role in the planning and execution of these events, often instigating protests or insurrections to pressure the military into action. They also work to consolidate the new junta by providing auxiliary services and fighting for its interests, as was seen in Niger in 2023.
International supporters of democracy should step up to provide more robust and consistent responses to executive coups. These efforts could include revising U.S. law to allow for a rapid and firm response, such as cutting off aid, in the event of a coup. This could help counter the resurgence of these self-coups by helping to deprive juntas of financial rewards and by signaling that such actions will not go unpunished. This could be done by adding an anti-coup provision to the Insurrection Act, as proposed in this Washington Post editorial, “U.S. Should Call Niger Coup a Coup.” This would be an important step toward strengthening democratic norms and making it harder for a military-backed junta to remain entrenched in power.