Overview

Electoral autocracies – regimes that adopt democratic institutions but subvert them to rule as dictatorships – have become the most widespread, resilient and malignant non-democracies today. They have consistently ruled over a third of the countries in the world, including geopolitically significant states like Russia, Turkey, Venezuela, Egypt, Indonesia, Nigeria and Pakistan. Challenging conventional wisdom, Popular Dictators shows that the success of electoral authoritarianism is not due to these regimes' superior capacity to repress, bribe, brainwash and manipulate their societies into submission, but is actually a product of their genuine popular appeal in countries experiencing deep political, economic and security crises. Promising efficient, strong-armed rule tempered by popular accountability, elected strongmen attract mass support in societies traumatized by turmoil, dysfunction and injustice, allowing them to rule through the ballot box. Popular Dictators argues that this crisis legitimation strategy makes electoral authoritarianism the most significant threat to global peace and democracy.

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9781316517802

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Reviews

'Popular Dictators will be a definitive work on electoral authoritarian regimes and the strongmen who rule them. Aleksandar Matovski emphatically portrays mass appeal instead of elite support as the foundation of strongman power, and persuasively traces this mass appeal to the crises and conflicts that preceded strongman rule and discredited these authoritarian regimes' predecessors.' Dan Slater, University of Michigan 'Matovski's book makes a fascinating argument - backed by impressive evidence from Russia and around the globe - that a 'strongman appeal' born of national crisis is often more important than actual repression in keeping authoritarian regimes stable. Engagingly written, it is bound to be an important reference point on the subject for years to come.' Henry E. Hale, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, George Washington University 'Alexander Matovski has written timely and compelling account of electoral authoritarianism - once of democracy's greatest nemeses today. Animated by sweeping and original analysis, this book provides unique insight into how elected strongmen like Vladimir Putin maintain power by exploiting crises and the anxieties of their populations. A must read of all those interested in autocratic resilience.' Michael McFaul, Professor of Political Science, Stanford University and Former US Ambassador to Russia

'Popular Dictators will be a definitive work on electoral authoritarian regimes and the strongmen who rule them. Aleksandar Matovski emphatically portrays mass appeal instead of elite support as the foundation of strongman power, and persuasively traces this mass appeal to the crises and conflicts that preceded strongman rule and discredited these authoritarian regimes' predecessors.' Dan Slater, University of Michigan 'Matovski's book makes a fascinating argument - backed by impressive evidence from Russia and around the globe - that a 'strongman appeal' born of national crisis is often more important than actual repression in keeping authoritarian regimes stable. Engagingly written, it is bound to be an important reference point on the subject for years to come.' Henry E. Hale, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, George Washington University 'Aleksandar Matovski has written a timely and compelling account of electoral authoritarianism - one of democracy's greatest nemeses today. Animated by sweeping and original analysis, this book provides unique insight into how elected strongmen like Vladimir Putin maintain power by exploiting crises and the anxieties of their populations. A must read of all those interested in autocratic resilience.' Michael McFaul, Professor of Political Science, Stanford University and Former US Ambassador to Russia

'Popular Dictators will be a definitive work on electoral authoritarian regimes and the strongmen who rule them. Aleksandar Matovski emphatically portrays mass appeal instead of elite support as the foundation of strongman power, and persuasively traces this mass appeal to the crises and conflicts that preceded strongman rule and discredited these authoritarian regimes' predecessors.' Dan Slater, University of Michigan

Author Information

Aleksandar Matovski an Assistant Professor in the Department of National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School and an Associate at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University. He was previously National Security Advisor in the Government of North Macedonia.

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