Covert Regime Change and Ideology

We analyze how CIA covert interventions during the Cold War influenced ideological change in target countries. Our findings, derived from generalized difference-in-differences, event studies, randomized inference tests, and placebo analysis of unsuccessful CIA cover operations, show that successful covert CIA interventions boosted conservative ideology while diminishing socialist/communist ideology and overall ideological legitimation. In contrast, unsuccessful interventions increased overall ideology, particularly socialist/communist ideologies, and reduced conservative ideology. JEL Classification: D73, K42, O17, P16