The coup d’etat is the sudden, illegal overthrow of an existing government by a small group, often by violent means. Coups are conducted by aspiring dictators, guerrilla military forces, or opposing political factions, and they typically seek to replace the ruling leadership rather than impose sweeping changes to national policies. The term is derived from the French word for “stroke of state,” or a blow to the state’s machinery.
Although many upheavals are labeled as coups, a coup is distinguished by the participation of a small number of elites with direct access to state power. Thus, it is distinct from a revolution, which involves broader popular participation and is often a lengthy struggle to establish democratic rule. Coups are more often associated with the need to gain or retain control of natural resources, especially in countries that have narrowly dependent economies.
Despite their relatively low participation levels, coups can have profound consequences for human rights and democracy. The Cline Center’s Coup d’Etat Project is the world’s largest global registry of coup events, documenting and defining these episodes for every country. This Codebook v2.2.0 explains the various versions of the data and defines the broad categories used to differentiate the wide array of events that meet the project’s definition of a coup d’etat, including both successful and failed coups. It also outlines how coup outcomes are defined and the methodology for collecting the data. For the latest updates on the Coup d’Etat Project, please visit our project page.