Rebel Victory and Constitutional Change

How do rebel regimes consolidate power while staying true to their revolutionarygoals? Though some studies have found that revolutions can be efficiency-enhancing,our analysis of victorious rebellions from 1946 to 2021 and case studies from Ethiopiaand Afghanistan finds that successful rebels establish constitutions that involve selective enforcement of property rights. Constitutions of rebel regimes are more likely to include provisions that enable the government to suspend private property rights and expropriate property under broad justifications. Governance strategies post-victory include property insecurity as a tactic for maintaining political authority.