Coup D'etat.: Why Do They Fail So Often?

The number of coups that succeed as a fraction of those attempted has seen a steady decrease. Statistics for the past decade indicate that for every coup that succeeds, there 3 that fail. The punishment for failed coups is imprisonment. But perpetrators often find themselves staring down the barrel of the executioner’s gun. So why are coups still so popular? In this short piece, I analyze why so many of the coups launched all over the world fail. I present evidence which points to the fact that coup makers may be deliberating disregarding information that points to the potential failure of a coup attempt.