Hometown Networks and the Limits of Institutional Power in Vietnam’s Elite Circles

Institutionalist scholars contend that formal rules and institutions are crucial for authoritarian resilience. Yet Vietnam’s case challenges this perspective. While Vietnam demonstrates remarkable political stability, its resilience derives from informal dynamics rather than institutional frameworks. This study reveals that the statute on age limits for officials—one of the core rules designed to regulate power transitions—is frequently violated, suggesting that the Vietnamese system’s resilience may stem from informal dynamics rather than institutional frameworks. Using a novel dataset of 159 individuals who held seats in the Politburo and government cabinet from 1996 to 2022, the study highlights the dominance of factional politics based on hometown ties in power allocation. Power has been concentrated in northern provinces, with six key hubs—Hà Nội, Nam Định, Thanh Hóa, Nghệ An, Hà Tĩnh, and Quảng Nam—producing over 40 percent of the country’s leaders. These findings support the view that institutions in authoritarian regimes often codify elite dominance and facilitate the personalization of power rather than ensuring credible commitment or effective power-sharing.