You Can Be a Dictator, Too (w/ Bruce Bueno de Mesquita & Alastair Smith)

Ten years ago, NYU political scientists Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith wrote "The Dictator's Handbook," which posited that all political leaders — from autocrats to democratically-elected officials — are governed by an uncomfortably similar set of rules and incentives. We thought now’s the perfect time to take a fresh look at their model and re-learn the dos and don’ts of political power. We discuss the Trump presidency, the Electoral College, voter fraud, jolly old Putin, and a variety of delectable topics to get you revved up and ready for election day. If you haven’t already, please join our coalition of essentials by subscribing to Uncertain Things here (or wherever you get your podcasts). [5:55] The basic principles of the theory [13:00] Democracies & Dictatorships, a sliding scale [19:56] It’s a mess, but we’re course-correcting [23:05] The problem with the Electoral College (it’s not what you think) [29: 21] All leaders want to shrink their coalition (on gerrymandering, sore loser laws, and Tanzania) [33:05] The people push back [35:25] How vote fraud actually happens [37:45] On social media (the information/disinformation arms race) [49:21] Universities are not democracies [54:46] Which companies win, which commit fraud [1:00:31] What we get wrong about foreign aid (the Petro-State Problem} [1:006:31] The liberalizing myth [1:08:44] The issue with inequity in democracy [1:14:00] A Yang gang post-script Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe