S. Guriev D. Treisman Spin-Dictators. How Face of Tyranny is Changing in the 21st Century Book

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Hitler, Stalin, and Mao ruled through violence, fear, and ideology. However, in recent decades, new leaders, well-versed in media technologies, have transformed authoritarian governance to adapt to the realities of global interconnectedness. At the onset of their rule, leaders like Vladimir Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Viktor Orban, instead of openly employing mass repression, control their citizens by distorting information and simulating democratic procedures. Similar to scholarly experts in democratic nations, they model and impose a certain state of reality that keeps citizens in check and allows dictators to remain in power. Revealing this new form of authoritarianism, Sergei Guriev and Daniel Treisman explain the emergence of such "spin dictators," describing how they come to power and operate, outlining the threats they pose, and suggesting how democracies should respond to them. The book also highlights how leaders like Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore and Alberto Fujimori of Peru have implemented less violent, more covert, and more effective methods of monopolizing power. They cultivate an image of competence, conceal censorship, and use democratic institutions to undermine democracy. The authors explain why the majority of contemporary authoritarians are "spin dictators" and how they differ from "fear dictators" such as Kim Jong-un and Bashar al-Assad, as well as from masters of high-tech repression like Xi Jinping.