ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the different sources of domestic legitimacy that autocracies may enjoy and the different vulnerabilities these can give rise to, deserve more thought than the attention they have hitherto received, not least for the implications for constructive engagement by democracy promotion actors in the international community. International intervention of various sorts in the furtherance of both democracy and human rights has increased dramatically since 1989. Some autocracies enjoy practical support from and seek to draw legitimacy from the presence of other autocracies. The international financial institutions' efforts to promote better 'governance' can contribute to eroding autocratic regime legitimacy, even though they cannot guarantee there will be society-wide publicity for their findings. For even where an autocracy has virtually no legitimacy and is maintained largely by force and fear, society's potential to make a difference through non-violent resistance and protest should not be underestimated either.
