Spin Dictators
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Author | |
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Subject | Political science |
Publisher | Princeton University Press |
Publication date | 2022 |
Media type | |
Pages | 360 |
Website | spindictators |
Spin Dictators: The Changing Face of Tyranny in the 21st Century is a political science book by Russian economist Sergei Guriev and American political scientist Daniel Treisman. It examines how modern dictators and autocrats – pioneered by Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore and Alberto Fujimori of Peru, and replicated by Vladimir Putin of Russia, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey, and Viktor Orbán of Hungary[1] – focus more on propaganda methods such as spin, disinformation, and psychologically keeping their populations in fear of the Other, instead of the more overtly brutal methods of political repression favoured by dictators of the past such as Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union or Mao Zedong of China.[2]
The authors contend that modern "spin dictators" pretend to be democrats (for example, allowing a select group of high-brow, but low-circulation, dissident newspapers to exist to show that they respect the freedom of the press), but still use their power to suppress dissent (for example, increasing tax demands on independent broadcasters, or such outlets being bought by the leader's cronies; or accusing independent broadcasters of publishing fake news and shutting them down). Thus, these authoritarian leaders manipulate the media, rather than totally censor or suppress it, and are thus more popular among the people.[3] The book also discusses the sympathies between spin dictators and democratic populists such as American president Donald Trump.[4]
References
- ^ Guriev, Sergei; Treisman, Daniel (21 March 2022). Spin Dictators. Princeton University Press. doi:10.1515/9780691224466. ISBN 9780691224466. S2CID 247903789.
- ^ Ikenberry, G. John (3 March 2022). "Spin Dictators: The Changing Face of Tyranny in the 21st Century". Foreign Affairs. ISSN 0015-7120. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
- ^ "For modern autocrats, lying is more useful than killing". The Economist. 2 April 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
- ^ Guriev, Sergei; Treisman, Daniel (5 April 2022). Spin Dictators. ISBN 9780691211411. Retrieved 3 April 2022.