[tticvs]

This is similar to the advantage to amnesty for corrupt dictators proposed by Mesquita & White in The Dictators Handbook.

Basically giving authoritarian regimes an alternative to fighting to the death might increase overall utility.

[chii]

but it also gives the moral hazard of someone wanting to start such a regime, because they know they can profit/garner personal wealth during their reign, then beg for amnesty after a while (when it looks like their grip on power is lowered), and possibly, hiding their wealth gained away somewhere secret.

Where as, in a world where such amnesty doesn't exist, they may have to face the possibility of being executed when they lose power (which, if history is to be believed, they eventually do). Therefore, some who are more cowards but cunning won't want to be a dictator, and thus, you end up with a more democratic system.

[marcosdumay]

There must always be punishment. The comments above are too summarized to get into it, but when that kind of amnesty happens, it is never complete.

But if the punishment is so crass that the people prefer to lose their lives instead, that's a clear signal that your society has a problem, and your new regime isn't all that good either.

[tlringer]

Students under abusive advisors like this should not be punished and in fact are currently not punished. The power structures are too fundamental.

The problem is that if you cross your advisor, good luck getting a job later.

[zaik]

I think the authors are Bruce Bueno De Mesquita and Alastair Smith.