Regime Change
A foreign policy strategy aimed at overthrowing a government. It is discussed as a failed US strategy in past conflicts (Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya) and a path that the Trump administration successfully avoided in Iran.
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7/13/2025, 5:56:21 PM
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7/22/2025, 4:45:29 AM
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7/13/2025, 6:03:18 PM
Summary
Regime change refers to the forceful or coercive replacement of one government with another, which can involve altering leadership, administrative systems, or bureaucracy. This process can lead to transitions between different forms of government, such as from autocracy to democracy or vice versa. It can be initiated by internal factors like revolutions, coups, or post-conflict reconstruction, or by external forces through invasion, intervention, or coercive diplomacy. Historically, between 1816 and 2011, 120 leaders were removed through foreign-imposed regime change, as documented by Alexander Downes. In the context of the recent Israel-Iran conflict, Donald Trump was noted for de-escalating the situation by negotiating a ceasefire, specifically resisting calls from Neocons for a full-scale regime change war in Iran, an action seen as demonstrating restored US superpower status.
Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
Scope
May replace all or part of the state's most critical leadership system, administrative apparatus, or bureaucracy.
Definition
The partly forcible or coercive replacement of one government regime with another.
Potential Outcomes
Construction of new institutions, restoration of old institutions, and promotion of new ideologies.
External Mechanisms
Imposed by foreign actors through invasion, overt or covert interventions, or coercive diplomacy.
Internal Mechanisms
Revolution, coup, or reconstruction of government following state failure or civil war.
Types of Transition
From autocracy to democracy, democracy to autocracy, or one type of autocracy to another.
Historical Data (1816-2011)
120 leaders removed through foreign-imposed regime change.
Timeline
- 120 leaders were removed through foreign-imposed regime change. (Source: Wikipedia)
1816-2011
- Donald Trump de-escalated the Israel-Iran conflict by negotiating a ceasefire, resisting calls from Neocons for a full-scale regime change war in Iran. (Source: Related Documents)
Recent
Wikipedia
View on WikipediaRegime change
Regime change is the partly forcible or coercive replacement of one government regime with another. Regime change may replace all or part of the state's most critical leadership system, administrative apparatus, or bureaucracy. The regime change may be a transition from autocracy to democracy, or from democracy to autocracy, or from one type of autocracy to another type of autocracy. Regime change may occur through domestic processes, such as revolution, coup, or reconstruction of government following state failure or civil war. It can also be imposed on a country by foreign actors through invasion, overt or covert interventions, or coercive diplomacy. Regime change may entail the construction of new institutions, the restoration of old institutions, and the promotion of new ideologies. According to a dataset by Alexander Downes, 120 leaders were removed through foreign-imposed regime change between 1816 and 2011.
Web Search Results
- Regime change - Wikipedia
Regime change is the partly forcible or coercive replacement of one government regime with another. Regime change may replace all or part of the state's "State (polity)") most critical leadership system, administrative apparatus, or bureaucracy. Regime change may occur through domestic processes, such as revolution, coup, or reconstruction of government following state failure or civil war.[\[1\]]( It can also be imposed on a country by foreign actors through invasion, overt "Interventionism [...] (politics)") or covert interventions, or coercive diplomacy.[\[2\]]( Regime change may entail the construction of new institutions, the restoration of old institutions, and the promotion of new ideologies.[\[2\]]( [...] What links here Related changes Upload file Permanent link Page information Cite this page Get shortened URL Download QR code Edit interlanguage links Print/export Download as PDF Printable version In other projects Wikidata item From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Forced replacement of one government with another Not to be confused with Regime shift, Government formation, Election, or Peaceful transition of power.
- United States involvement in regime change - Wikipedia
period of social and political unrest between the right-dominated Congress of Chile and Allende, as well as economic warfare waged by Washington. U.S. President Richard Nixon had promised to "make the economy scream" to "prevent Allende from coming to power or to unseat him".( [...] Since the 19th century, the United States government has participated and interfered, both overtly and covertly, in the replacement of many foreign governments. In the latter half of the 19th century, the U.S. government initiated actions for regime change mainly in Latin America and the southwest Pacific, including the Spanish–American and Philippine–American wars. At the onset of the 20th century, the United States shaped or installed governments in many countries around the world, including [...] From mid-1963, the Kennedy administration became increasingly frustrated with South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem's corrupt and repressive rule and his persecution of the Buddhist majority. In light of Diem's refusal to adopt reforms, American officials debated whether they should support efforts to replace him. These debates crystallized after the ARVN Special Forces, which took their orders directly from the palace, raided Buddhist temples across the country, leaving a death toll
- REGIME CHANGE definition | Cambridge English Dictionary
Add regime change to one of your lists below, or create a new one. {{message}} {{message}} Something went wrong. {{message}} {{message}} Something went wrong. {{message}} {{message}} There was a problem sending your report. {{message}} {{message}} There was a problem sending your report. [...] Cambridge Dictionary # Meaning of regime change in English Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio ## Examples of regime change ## Translations of regime change Get a quick, free translation! ## Browse {{randomImageQuizHook.quizId}} {{randomImageQuizHook.quizId}} Word of the Day make believe Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio to pretend or imagine [...] Rookie mistakes and schoolboy errors (Talking about mistakes) Blog Rookie mistakes and schoolboy errors (Talking about mistakes) <p>career catfishing New Words career catfishing © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2025 © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2025 ## Learn more with +Plus ## Learn more with +Plus Cambridge Dictionary Cambridge Dictionary To add regime change to a word list please sign up or log in.
- Regime Change in Iran: The Geopolitical Stakes
What makes Iran so important to global geopolitics? And how would a regime change impact great power rivalries involving Russia, China, and the
- Top Geopolitical Risks of 2025 - S&P Global
Environmental: natural disasters, climate change, resource scarcity and their impact on economic or social conditions. Regulatory: changes in regulatory frameworks or legal systems for businesses operating in different countries, e.g., changes in tax laws, labor regulations or environmental standards. Cyber: the potential impact of cyberattacks, data breaches or other forms of cybercrime, e.g., ransomware attacks, hacking and intellectual property theft. [...] Political: the potential impact of political decisions, instability or conflict on economic or social conditions — for example, changes in government policies, civil unrest and corruption. Economic: economic and industrial policies, trade disputes or financial instability and their potential impact on the global economy, e.g., currency fluctuations, inflation, trade wars and sanctions. [...] #### TheRussia-Ukraine conflictcontinues to pose a significant geopolitical risk in 2025. It has initiated a humanitarian crisis and given rise to greater risk exposures in capital flows, trade and commodity markets worldwide.
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