ABSTRACT
The most common form of change in government since World War II has been the coup d’état. A coup is a quick, violent, and illegal overthrow of a government by a faction of the armed forces or other powerful sector in society. There are many specific kinds of coups. One type, a putsch, occurs during or immediately following a war, in which a segment of the military forms an alternative leadership as a first step toward creating a new government. Other unconstitutional changes are not considered coups, such as a “palace revolution” in which government insiders manipulate or replace the leader. The practice goes as far back as government itself, ever since Absalom conspired with leaders of ancient Israel’s tribes to try to depose his father, King David.
