Autocrats rely not only on powerful allies at the top but also on midlevel officials who carry out repression. New research suggests that these enablers are often not ideological zealots or hardened extremists, but rather underperforming bureaucrats seeking career advancement. The same incentives that drive ambition in ordinary workplaces can motivate individuals to participate in intimidation, torture or the erosion of democratic institutions.

A study of Argentina's military dictatorship found that struggling officers could rehabilitate their careers by joining a notorious secret police unit, where brutality was rewarded with promotions, higher salaries and better pensions. Those with the weakest records were the most likely to transfer and were often assigned the harshest duties. Similar patterns appeared in Nazi Germany and under Joseph Stalin, where men with poor credentials or limited prospects were recruited into violent security roles.

Scholars describe these figures as 'loyal losers' — individuals with few alternatives who become dependable foot soldiers for authoritarian leaders. The same staffing logic can apply even in less overtly violent systems, where ambitious officials see loyalty as the surest path to advancement. By creating well-funded alternative promotion tracks, lowering standards and signaling impunity, leaders can incentivize ordinary careerists to help dismantle democratic norms from within.