We show that an institutional change designed expressly to heighten competition for the provision of union services can have a substantial effect on unionization and employment relations. We study a French reform of 2008 that introduced mandatory elections for representation of workers at firm,...

The effects of organized labor on regime change in developing countries are not clear‐cut. Optimists argue that union agitation is conducive to both democratic transition and consolidation processes. Pessimists hold that unions will support any regime that is conducive to their demands....

Independently of the fact that the replacement of overtly authoritarian regimes in many African countries appeared to presage fundamental political change, a closer examination of democratic trends since the establishment of the African Union (AU) paints a less promising picture. In this paper,...