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The Dictator's Handbook
Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics
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Check link for latest rating. ( 11,282 ratings, 1,330 reviews)
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Ideal for readers interested in politics, leadership, and governance, including students, academics, policymakers, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind political power.
Two renowned political scientists show how the rules of politics almost always favor leaders who ignore the national interest and focus on serving their own supporters.
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Description
For eighteen years, Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith have been part of a team revolutionising the study of politics by turning conventional wisdom on its head. They start from a single assertion: Leaders do whatever keeps them in power.
They don't care about the "national interest" or even their subjects, unless they have to. This clever and accessible book shows that the difference between tyrants and democrats is just a convenient fiction. Governments do not differ in kind but only in the number of essential supporters, or backs that need scratching.
The size of this group determines almost everything about politics: what leaders can get away with, and the quality of life or misery under them. The picture the authors paint is not pretty. But it just may be the truth, which is a good starting point for anyone seeking to improve human governance.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Acclaimed by CGP Grey as "simply the best book on politics written," and praised by R. James Woolsey, former Director of Central Intelligence, the book is described as a "fascinating" and "cynical, but accurate" analysis of leadership and governance. Roger Myerson of the University of Chicago highlights its brilliant historical insight and practical guidance on democracy and rule of law, recommending it as essential reading for citizens.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781610391849
Publisher: PublicAffairs,U.S.
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 31 July 2012
Country: United States
Imprint: PublicAffairs,U.S.
Audience: Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 25.0mm
Width: 155.0mm
Height: 209.0mm
Weight: 315g
Pages: 352
About the Author
Bruce Bueno de Mesquita is the Julius Silver Professor of Politics and director of the Alexander Hamilton centre for Political Economy at New York University. He is the author of 16 books, including The Predictioneer's Game. Alastair Smith is professor of politics at New York University. The recipient of three grants from the National Science Foundation and author of three books, he was chosen as the 2005 Karl Deutsch Award winner, given biennially to the best international relations scholar under the age of 40.They are also the authors of The Spoils of War: Greed, Power, and the Conflicts That Made Our Greatest Presidents.
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