Gorbachev didn’t set out to open the door to democracy Daniel Treisman - September 1, 2022 The former Soviet leader learned the hard way that reining in political changes is harder than making them
How popular is Putin, really? John Reuter, Noah Buckley, Kyle L. Marquardt, and Katerina Tertytchnaya - April 12, 2022 The image of Putin’s popularity bolsters his actual popularity, our research finds. But staged perceptions of popularity can be fragile.
Why Putin uses Russian law to crack down on dissent Lauren McCarthy - April 6, 2022 Autocrats make things like protests illegal so they can blame individuals for breaking the law — while avoiding blame for passing unjust laws.
In Hungary, Orban wins again — because he has rigged the system Kim Lane Scheppele - April 6, 2022 Here’s how Orban’s Fidesz party won 53 percent of the vote — but 83 percent of the districts.
Why democracies win more wars than autocracies Dan Reiter and Allan C. Stam - March 30, 2022 Like Putin, dictators tend to start risky wars, our research shows
Autocratic governments are using coronavirus as a pretext to clamp down on opponents Travis Curtice, Mel Pavlik, Hilary Matfess, and Don Grasse - July 30, 2020 Here’s what we found in Uganda and Zimbabwe.
Saudi Arabia is launching an oil price war. That’s risky. Jim Krane - March 22, 2020 Without oil revenues, the monarchy could be in trouble
Sudan’s upheaval is the latest example of a ‘gray-zone coup’ Nandita Balakrishnan - April 17, 2019 Autocrats learned “coup-proofing” — and militaries learned negotiating.
Fake news is bad news for democracy. James Hollyer, James Vreeland, and Peter Rosendorff - April 5, 2019 Unreliable information shapes voter choices — and election outcomes.
Russia is trying to limit its casualties in Syria. Here’s why that is bad for Syrian civilians. Lionel Beehner - March 28, 2018 [caption id="attachment_71523" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a
Democracies are no better at educating students than autocracies. This is why. Sirianne Dahlum and Carl Knutsen - June 13, 2017 [caption id="attachment_59717" align="aligncenter" width="960"] (iStock)[/caption] Democracies outperform autocracies on education.
Using chemical weapons is a risky move. So why did Syria use sarin? James Hollyer and Peter Rosendorff - April 12, 2017 [caption id="attachment_56722" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A Syrian boy and other victims
Here are the 3 (big!) challenges facing Peru’s next president Michael Albertus - April 12, 2016 [caption id="attachment_38957" align="aligncenter" width="908"] A Quechua Indian woman walks next
Piketty thinks South Africa needs to redistribute land. Democracies can’t do that. Dictators can. Michael Albertus - October 20, 2015 [caption id="attachment_30832" align="aligncenter" width="1484"] A man cuts sugarcane on a
How democratic institutions are making dictatorships more durable Erica Frantz and Andrea Kendall-Taylor - March 19, 2015 [caption id="attachment_22871" align="alignnone" width="620"] Supporters of Sudanese President and National
Don’t underestimate importance of religion for understanding Russia’s actions in Crimea Mara Kozelsky - March 13, 2014 [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="606" special="3TP"] Russia's President Vladimir Putin and
Don't underestimate importance of religion for understanding Russia's actions in Crimea Mara Kozelsky - March 13, 2014 [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="606" special="3TP"] Russia's President Vladimir Putin and
Human Rights Prosecutions and Distinguishing Between Nascent Democracies and Autocracies: A Response to Sikkink Joshua Tucker - September 19, 2011 James Hollyer, a Leitner Fellow at Yale University, sends along
Some Thoughts on Authoritarian Durability in the Middle East Joshua Tucker - February 21, 2011 It is our pleasure to welcome back frequent Monkey Cage