Abstract
The article examines the role and development of social capital in stabilizing autocratic regimes. The social capital in the study was operationalized as trust, since the presence of trust in society strengthens the network of relationships. Stability in this study refers to all changes in the political system, which are measured through indicators of political instability. At the same time, this paper considers cooptational and repressive management strategies, since the development of social capital in autocratic regimes directly depends on the choice of one of these strategies. The study sample lasting from 1981 to 2012 included 56 autocratic states. An empirical study revealed that the behavior of social capital in stabilizing autocratic regimes is non-linear and depends on the type of autocratic regime, as well as on the management strategy used.