Autocratic learning is not reserved for autocracies alone. Recent writings on both autocratic diffusion and democratic regression show how lawmakers are inserting restrictive provisions, manipulating formulations, and subverting intended democratic laws. Emulation and learning are highlighted as key diffusion mechanisms where autocratic-minded actors are learning how to undermine democratic laws and institutions from previous examples. However, few studies of diffusion theorize on learning and emulation across regime types; Theories of democratic diffusion does not incorporate, and subsequently cannot explain, the increasing trend of subverting democratic forms for non-democratic purposes, while theories of authoritarian diffusion do not (yet) capture how autocratic ideas and practices can spread to democratic regimes.

This paper examines autocratic diffusion as one possible explanation for subverting democratic laws across regime type. The study combines quantitative and qualitative text analysis methods to first measure textual similarities (i.e. copying) across laws and second trace instances of autocratic subversion to later laws (i.e. learning). It focuses on all Right to Information (RTI) laws in Africa. African RTI laws are known to be paradoxical, adopted by liberal democracies and autocracies alike. Some of these laws are limiting information rights instead of enhancing them, and the continent is countering a global trend of adopting increasingly stronger laws to guarantee the right to information. This paper shows that instances of autocratic learning happens in all regime types, autocracies and democracies alike. Additionally, this paper highlight how autocratic learning can happen within processes of democratic diffusion, like the spreading adoption of RTI laws globally.