Political actors compete for scarce support from potential followers.
Contrary to the assumptions held by much of public choice research, this variant of competition is not confined to democratic regimes. Rather, political actors in any regime face potential or actual competitors and need to react to competitive pressure in order to stabilize or improve their position. Typically, political actors in any kind of regime try to gain support by creating institutions which favor their followers on economic markets, for example by protecting them against competition. Bureaucratic agencies compete for scarce resources and competencies. This involves modifying institutions relevant for activities on economic markets, too.