Abstract
Leopold II. und die Selectorate-Theorie: Eine Untersuchung in Abgrenzung zu rassismusbasierten Erkl? rungsans?tzen?. From 1885 until 1908 Leopold II was not only the King of Belgium but also the personal owner of the Congo Free State. The policy outcomes during his reign turned out to be fundamentally different in the two coun tries: Whereas in Belgium he improved living conditions, in the Congo he established a brutal tyranny. This paper analy ses the reasons for these different leadership styles of Leo pold II by means of the 'selectorate theory'. The selectorate theory explains policy outcomes as a function of govern ance institutions. It assumes that the ruler maximizes his own utility which means first of all to sustain himself in power. Under Belgium's governmental institutions Leopold II required broad support from the general public but in the Congo he only needed a very small group of supporters. To reduce the possibility that Leopold's different leadership styles were caused mainly by racism his period is compared to the reign of the Congolese leader Mobutu Sese Seko.
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