How and why do authoritarian regimes use some of the institutions characteristic of democracies?

Because authoritarian rulers fall far more often to movements mounted by elites within their regimes than to opponents from the outside, they institutions of democracy are sometimes used to assuage the concerns of enemies within the regime or to make it more difficult for them to mount challenges. The familiar institutions of democracy can be used in non-democratic regimes to make it harder to oust the ruler. Some examples include: courts that can be used to secure property rights, and to punish low-level corruption, and make the regime appear fair and concerned about its citizens’ welfare; licenced oppositions allow claims of an authoritarian regime to be democratic; legislatures help deal with basic problems of governing and cede points to its opponents while keeping them within the system; elections can be for show and to keep potential foes within the regime’s party in line.