The Dictator's Handbook
| Company type | Nonfiction book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Political science, nonfiction literature |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, Alastair Smith |
| Products | Book |
The Dictator's Handbook: Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics is a nonfiction work released in 2011 by political scientists Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith, under the PublicAffairs imprint. The book explores the mechanisms through which political figures gain and sustain authority.
Bueno de Mesquita, affiliated with the Hoover Institution, and Smith utilize insights from economics, history, and political science to dissect political conduct. Michael Moynihan of The Wall Street Journal likened the narrative style to that of Freakonomics and commended the authors for their wide-ranging expertise.
The pair had earlier introduced the "selectorate" theory in their scholarly publication The Logic of Political Survival. Their work also served as inspiration for the Netflix documentary series How to Become a Tyrant, which provides a pragmatic overview of authoritarian governance.
Contents
Bueno de Mesquita and Smith assert that politicians, regardless of operating within authoritarian systems or democracies, must secure their hold on power by catering to a core group of influential supporters, often acting out of self-interest.[1] Their fundamental drive is encapsulated as "To gain power, to retain power, and, as far as possible, to control financial resources."[2] The principal distinction lies in democratic leaders needing to satisfy broader coalitions or the electorate, whereas authoritarian rulers depend on relatively small factions. These dynamics shape institutional frameworks in each system and contribute to generally longer reigns for autocrats.[2] Politicians tend to perform beneficial actions primarily when these align with their interests or are strategically necessary.[1] The analysis also highlights that foreign aid directed at developing nations frequently props up authoritarian regimes but can be adjusted to better assist genuine beneficiaries.[3]
The terminology employed throughout the text varies, which Samuel Brittan from the Financial Times pointed out as occasionally leading to confusion.[3]
Reception
Martin Patriquin from Maclean's lauded the authors for reversing a popular adage: "Power doesn’t corrupt. Instead, power inevitably attracts those who are corrupt."[1]
Ed Howker of The Guardian noted that the book presumes rationality in political actors and adopts a somewhat cynical perspective that "made me flinch," while recognizing its insightful commentary on authoritarian regimes.[4]
Moynihan regarded much of the content as "common-sensical," though he identified minor inaccuracies attributable to the book’s ambitious scope.[2]
Brittan characterized it as "highly illuminating" with respect to dictatorships in emerging countries and flawed democratic systems such as those in Russia and Iran.[3]
Theodore McLauchlin of University of Montreal described it as a "useful primer" connecting disparate political phenomena but criticized ambiguous explanations of key terms like "winning coalition" and "selectorate."[5]
Popular YouTuber CGP Grey transformed the book’s concepts into a video titled The Rules For Rulers, outlining governance principles including control over financial resources, reducing dependency on supporters, and securing allegiance through distribution of benefits.[6]
Publication history
- The Dictator's Handbook, first edition, PublicAffairs, 2011, ISBN 978-1-61039-044-6
- The Dictator's Handbook, second edition, PublicAffairs, 2022, ISBN 9781541701366
External links
- The Dictator's Handbook – Published by PublicAffairs
- Alastair Smith's Homepage at NYU
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<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedMcLaughinp1096 - ↑ Grey, CGP (24 October 2016). "The Rules for Rulers". Youtube.com. YouTube. Retrieved 17 September 2024.