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| autocratic leaders in history: Dictators and Autocrats Klaus Larres, 2021-10-31 In order to truly understand the emergence, endurance, and legacy of autocracy, this volume of engaging essays explores how autocratic power is acquired, exercised, and transferred or abruptly ended through the careers and politics of influential figures in more than 20 countries and six regions. The book looks at both traditional hard dictators, such as Hitler, Stalin, and Mao, and more modern soft or populist autocrats, who are in the process of transforming once fully democratic countries into autocratic states, including Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Turkey, Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro, Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines, Narendra Modi in India, and Viktor Orbán in Hungary. The authors touch on a wide range of autocratic and dictatorial figures in the past and present, including present-day autocrats, such as Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, military leaders, and democratic leaders with authoritarian aspirations. They analyze the transition of selected autocrats from democratic or benign semi-democratic systems to harsher forms of autocracy, with either quite disastrous or more successful outcomes. An ideal reader for students and scholars, as well as the general public, interested in international affairs, leadership studies, contemporary history and politics, global studies, security studies, economics, psychology, and behavioral studies. |
| autocratic leaders in history: Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present Ruth Ben-Ghiat, 2020-11-10 What modern authoritarian leaders have in common (and how they can be stopped). Ruth Ben-Ghiat is the expert on the strongman playbook employed by authoritarian demagogues from Mussolini to Putin—enabling her to predict with uncanny accuracy the recent experience in America and Europe. In Strongmen, she lays bare the blueprint these leaders have followed over the past 100 years, and empowers us to recognize, resist, and prevent their disastrous rule in the future. For ours is the age of authoritarian rulers: self-proclaimed saviors of the nation who evade accountability while robbing their people of truth, treasure, and the protections of democracy. They promise law and order, then legitimize lawbreaking by financial, sexual, and other predators. They use masculinity as a symbol of strength and a political weapon. Taking what you want, and getting away with it, becomes proof of male authority. They use propaganda, corruption, and violence to stay in power. Vladimir Putin and Mobutu Sese Seko’s kleptocracies, Augusto Pinochet’s torture sites, Benito Mussolini and Muammar Gaddafi’s systems of sexual exploitation, and Silvio Berlusconi and Donald Trump’s relentless misinformation: all show how authoritarian rule, far from ensuring stability, is marked by destructive chaos. No other type of leader is so transparent about prioritizing self-interest over the public good. As one country after another has discovered, the strongman is at his worst when true guidance is most needed by his country. Recounting the acts of solidarity and dignity that have undone strongmen over the past 100 years, Ben-Ghiat makes vividly clear that only by seeing the strongman for what he is—and by valuing one another as he is unable to do—can we stop him, now and in the future. |
| autocratic leaders in history: Rule Makers, Rule Breakers Michele Gelfand, 2019-08-20 A celebrated social psychologist offers a radical new perspective on cultural differences that reveals why some countries, cultures, and individuals take rules more seriously and how following the rules influences the way we think and act. In Rule Makers, Rule Breakers, Michele Gelfand, “an engaging writer with intellectual range” (The New York Times Book Review), takes us on an epic journey through human cultures, offering a startling new view of the world and ourselves. With a mix of brilliantly conceived studies and surprising on-the-ground discoveries, she shows that much of the diversity in the way we think and act derives from a key difference—how tightly or loosely we adhere to social norms. Just as DNA affects everything from eye color to height, our tight-loose social coding influences much of what we do. Why are clocks in Germany so accurate while those in Brazil are frequently wrong? Why do New Zealand’s women have the highest number of sexual partners? Why are red and blue states really so divided? Why was the Daimler-Chrysler merger ill-fated from the start? Why is the driver of a Jaguar more likely to run a red light than the driver of a plumber’s van? Why does one spouse prize running a tight ship while the other refuses to sweat the small stuff? In search of a common answer, Gelfand spent two decades conducting research in more than fifty countries. Across all age groups, family variations, social classes, businesses, states, and nationalities, she has identified a primal pattern that can trigger cooperation or conflict. Her fascinating conclusion: behavior is highly influenced by the perception of threat. “A useful and engaging take on human behavior” (Kirkus Reviews) with an approach that is consistently riveting, Rule Makers, Ruler Breakers thrusts many of the puzzling attitudes and actions we observe into sudden and surprising clarity. |
| autocratic leaders in history: Autocracy G. Tullock, 2012-12-06 My first serious thought about a scientific approach to politics was in Communist China. When the Communists seized China, the American Department of State, which was planning to recognize them, left its entire diplomatic establishment in place. At the time, I was a Vice Consul in Tientsin, so I found myself living under the Communists. While the Department of State was planning on recognizing the Communists, the Communist plans were obscure. In any event, they weren't going to recognize us in the Consulate General until formal relations were established between the two governments, so I had a great deal of leisure. As a man who then intended to spend his life as a political officer in the Department of State, I decided to fill in this time by reading political science. I rapidly realized, not only that the work was rather unsatisfactory from a scientific standpoint, but also that it didn't seem to have very much relevance to the Communist government under which I was then living. ! I was unable to solve the problem at the time, and after a number of vicissitudes which included service in Hong Kong and South Korea, neither of which was really a model of democracy, I resigned and switched over to an academic career primarily concerned with that mixture of economics and political science which we call Public Choice. Most of my work in Public Choice has dealt with democratic governments. |
| autocratic leaders in history: Twilight of Democracy Anne Applebaum, 2020-07-21 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • How did our democracy go wrong? This extraordinary document ... is Applebaum's answer. —Timothy Snyder, author of On Tyranny The Pulitzer Prize–winning historian explains, with electrifying clarity, why elites in democracies around the world are turning toward nationalism and authoritarianism. From the United States and Britain to continental Europe and beyond, liberal democracy is under siege, while authoritarianism is on the rise. In Twilight of Democracy, Anne Applebaum, an award-winning historian of Soviet atrocities who was one of the first American journalists to raise an alarm about antidemocratic trends in the West, explains the lure of nationalism and autocracy. In this captivating essay, she contends that political systems with radically simple beliefs are inherently appealing, especially when they benefit the loyal to the exclusion of everyone else. Elegantly written and urgently argued, Twilight of Democracy is a brilliant dissection of a world-shaking shift and a stirring glimpse of the road back to democratic values. |
| autocratic leaders in history: The Third Wave Samuel P. Huntington, 2012-09-06 Between 1974 and 1990 more than thirty countries in southern Europe, Latin America, East Asia, and Eastern Europe shifted from authoritarian to democratic systems of government. This global democratic revolution is probably the most important political trend in the late twentieth century. In The Third Wave, Samuel P. Huntington analyzes the causes and nature of these democratic transitions, evaluates the prospects for stability of the new democracies, and explores the possibility of more countries becoming democratic. The recent transitions, he argues, are the third major wave of democratization in the modem world. Each of the two previous waves was followed by a reverse wave in which some countries shifted back to authoritarian government. Using concrete examples, empirical evidence, and insightful analysis, Huntington provides neither a theory nor a history of the third wave, but an explanation of why and how it occurred. Factors responsible for the democratic trend include the legitimacy dilemmas of authoritarian regimes; economic and social development; the changed role of the Catholic Church; the impact of the United States, the European Community, and the Soviet Union; and the snowballing phenomenon: change in one country stimulating change in others. Five key elite groups within and outside the nondemocratic regime played roles in shaping the various ways democratization occurred. Compromise was key to all democratizations, and elections and nonviolent tactics also were central. New democracies must deal with the torturer problem and the praetorian problem and attempt to develop democratic values and processes. Disillusionment with democracy, Huntington argues, is necessary to consolidating democracy. He concludes the book with an analysis of the political, economic, and cultural factors that will decide whether or not the third wave continues. Several Guidelines for Democratizers offer specific, practical suggestions for initiating and carrying out reform. Huntington's emphasis on practical application makes this book a valuable tool for anyone engaged in the democratization process. At this volatile time in history, Huntington's assessment of the processes of democratization is indispensable to understanding the future of democracy in the world. |
| autocratic leaders in history: Introduction to Business Lawrence J. Gitman, Carl McDaniel, Amit Shah, Monique Reece, Linda Koffel, Bethann Talsma, James C. Hyatt, 2024-09-16 Introduction to Business covers the scope and sequence of most introductory business courses. The book provides detailed explanations in the context of core themes such as customer satisfaction, ethics, entrepreneurship, global business, and managing change. Introduction to Business includes hundreds of current business examples from a range of industries and geographic locations, which feature a variety of individuals. The outcome is a balanced approach to the theory and application of business concepts, with attention to the knowledge and skills necessary for student success in this course and beyond. This is an adaptation of Introduction to Business by OpenStax. You can access the textbook as pdf for free at openstax.org. Minor editorial changes were made to ensure a better ebook reading experience. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. |
| autocratic leaders in history: Political Leadership Between Democracy and Authoritarianism Jerzy J. Wiatr, 2022-01-17 In diesem Buch wird die Theorie der politischen Führung, die ein noch wenig erforschtes Feld der Politikwissenschaft ist, beleuchtet. Sie ist verwandt mit dem philosophischen Streit um Determinismus versus Aktivismus und hilft den Grundkonflikt des 21. Jahrhunderts zwischen liberaler Demokratie und neuem Autoritarismus zu verstehen. Das Buch befasst sich mit Max Webers Typologie politischer Herrschaft und seinem Konzept der Verantwortungsethik, welche der Schlüssel zur Theorie der Führung sind. Der Autor zeigt auf, dass der unvollendete Wettstreit zwischen Demokratie und neuem Autoritarismus im 21. Jahrhundert die Bedeutung von Führung in alten und neuen Demokratien sowie in den neoautoritären Regimen bestätigt und einen neuen Typus politischer Führungskräfte fordert. |
| autocratic leaders in history: The Origins of Political Order Francis Fukuyama, 2011-05-12 Nations are not trapped by their pasts, but events that happened hundreds or even thousands of years ago continue to exert huge influence on present-day politics. If we are to understand the politics that we now take for granted, we need to understand its origins. Francis Fukuyama examines the paths that different societies have taken to reach their current forms of political order. This book starts with the very beginning of mankind and comes right up to the eve of the French and American revolutions, spanning such diverse disciplines as economics, anthropology and geography. The Origins of Political Order is a magisterial study on the emergence of mankind as a political animal, by one of the most eminent political thinkers writing today. |
| autocratic leaders in history: The Myth of the Strong Leader Archie Brown, 2014-04-08 From one of the world's preeminent political historians, a magisterial study of political leadership around the world from the advent of parliamentary democracy to the age of Obama. All too frequently, leadership is reduced to a simple dichotomy: the strong versus the weak. Yet, there are myriad ways to exercise effective political leadership -- as well as different ways to fail. We blame our leaders for economic downfalls and praise them for vital social reforms, but rarely do we question what makes some leaders successful while others falter. In this magisterial and wide-ranging survey of political leadership over the past hundred years, renowned Oxford politics professor Archie Brown challenges the widespread belief that strong leaders -- meaning those who dominate their colleagues and the policy-making process -- are the most successful and admirable. In reality, only a minority of political leaders will truly make a lasting difference. Though we tend to dismiss more collegial styles of leadership as weak, it is often the most cooperative leaders who have the greatest impact. Drawing on extensive research and decades of political analysis and experience, Brown illuminates the achievements, failures and foibles of a broad array of twentieth century politicians. Whether speaking of redefining leaders like Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, and Margaret Thatcher, who expanded the limits of what was politically possible during their time in power, or the even rarer transformational leaders who played a decisive role in bringing about systemic change -- Charles de Gaulle, Mikhail Gorbachev and Nelson Mandela, among them -- Brown challenges our commonly held beliefs about political efficacy and strength. Overturning many of our assumptions about the twentieth century's most important figures, Brown's conclusions are both original and enlightening. The Myth of the Strong Leader compels us to reassess the leaders who have shaped our world - and to reconsider how we should choose and evaluate those who will lead us into the future. |
| autocratic leaders in history: Leaders Eat Last Simon Sinek, 2014-01-07 The New York Times bestseller by the acclaimed, bestselling author of Start With Why and Together is Better. Now with an expanded chapter and appendix on leading millennials, based on Simon Sinek's viral video Millenials in the workplace (150+ million views). Imagine a world where almost everyone wakes up inspired to go to work, feels trusted and valued during the day, then returns home feeling fulfilled. This is not a crazy, idealized notion. Today, in many successful organizations, great leaders create environments in which people naturally work together to do remarkable things. In his work with organizations around the world, Simon Sinek noticed that some teams trust each other so deeply that they would literally put their lives on the line for each other. Other teams, no matter what incentives are offered, are doomed to infighting, fragmentation and failure. Why? The answer became clear during a conversation with a Marine Corps general. Officers eat last, he said. Sinek watched as the most junior Marines ate first while the most senior Marines took their place at the back of the line. What's symbolic in the chow hall is deadly serious on the battlefield: Great leaders sacrifice their own comfort--even their own survival--for the good of those in their care. Too many workplaces are driven by cynicism, paranoia, and self-interest. But the best ones foster trust and cooperation because their leaders build what Sinek calls a Circle of Safety that separates the security inside the team from the challenges outside. Sinek illustrates his ideas with fascinating true stories that range from the military to big business, from government to investment banking. |
| autocratic leaders in history: A Handbook of Leadership Styles Ozgur Demirtas, 2020-02-03 This book serves to provide a detailed exploration of the various leadership styles exhibited today. In order to better comprehend the organic link between styles of leadership, this book deals with almost all models of leadership and demonstrates how dynamic these forms of leadership actually are. It is an essential and extensive reference point for both academics and practitioners. |
| autocratic leaders in history: Women and Leadership George R. Goethals, Crystal L. Hoyt, 2016-12-30 Women and Leadership, edited by George R. Goethals and Crystal L. Hoyt of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond, is a compact collection of thoughtful essays by experts on leadership theory as well as women’s history. Women and Leadership has been designed to help students and citizens who want a more nuanced explanation of what we know about women as leaders, and about how they have led in different fields, in different parts of the world, and in past centuries. It includes twenty biographies of women leaders in many different domains—not only politics but also education, fashion, sports, and social and environmental movements. |
| autocratic leaders in history: The Politics of Authoritarian Rule Milan W. Svolik, 2012-09-17 What drives politics in dictatorships? Milan W. Svolik argues authoritarian regimes must resolve two fundamental conflicts. Dictators face threats from the masses over which they rule - the problem of authoritarian control. Secondly from the elites with whom dictators rule - the problem of authoritarian power-sharing. Using the tools of game theory, Svolik explains why some dictators establish personal autocracy and stay in power for decades; why elsewhere leadership changes are regular and institutionalized, as in contemporary China; why some dictatorships are ruled by soldiers, as Uganda was under Idi Amin; why many authoritarian regimes, such as PRI-era Mexico, maintain regime-sanctioned political parties; and why a country's authoritarian past casts a long shadow over its prospects for democracy, as the unfolding events of the Arab Spring reveal. Svolik complements these and other historical case studies with the statistical analysis on institutions, leaders and ruling coalitions across dictatorships from 1946 to 2008. |
| autocratic leaders in history: A History of Leadership Morgen Witzel, 2019-12-06 The evolution of leadership into a widely accepted concept occurred without any shared understanding and acceptance of its meaning and relevance in contemporary society. Why do some people become leaders? What is the source and legitimacy of leadership power? This book journeys into the heart of the relationship between leaders and followers, the social space and the arena where both contest and collaboration take place and leadership itself is played out. In the book, Morgen Witzel moves beyond traditional traits and skills framing, offering a fresh, historical analysis that involves many different actors with different motives and needs. By analysing the evolution of power relationships, the book analyses the interactions around how power is used and control is bargained for to illuminate the centrepiece of leadership. A wide-ranging history of a slippery subject, this book provides students, scholars and reflective practitioners with an empirical, historical base on which to test their own ideas and experiences. |
| autocratic leaders in history: Dictators and Dictatorships Natasha M. Ezrow, Erica Frantz, 2011-02-24 > |
| autocratic leaders in history: Encyclopedia of Leadership George R. Goethals, Georgia J. Sorenson, James MacGregor Burns, 2004-02-29 Click ′Additional Materials′ for downloadable samples Not just for reference, this is an essential learning resource for libraries and the personal collections of modern leaders. Narratives, examples, photographs, and illustrations illuminate the ideas and concepts being examined, making the set readable, attention-grabbing, and unordinary. Readers can explore leadership theories and practices, and examine the effects of leadership. More volumes are promised in this source that brings interest and excitement to a subject overlooked by the consultants, CEOs, and coaches whose earlier works captured a small view of leadership subject matter. Summing Up: Highly recommended for all collections. --CHOICE Because there really is nothing available like this encyclopedia, it is a must buy for academic libraries. Extremely well done, with good quality print and illustrations, this work should become an important resource for active citizens as well as for managers and scholars. --BOOKLIST (starred review) Because of its breadth, ease of navigation, high level of scholarship, clear writing, and practical format, this model encyclopedia should help establish leadership as a normative field of study. Highly recommended. --LIBRARY JOURNAL (star review) SAGE has, again, been the first to hit the market with a major reference in a rapidly growing field of the social sciences. Virtually every academic and large public library will need the Encyclopedia of Leadership. --BOOK NEWS The enormous demands on leadership in today′s world-the rise of militant followings; the struggle of long-suppressed people to rise to leadership positions; the heightened demand for moral, principled leadership--all these dynamic forces contribute to making this encyclopedia timely--and timeless. --From the Foreword by James MacGregor Burns, Williams College, author of Leadership and winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award As the field of leadership studies expands, and the list of important authors and concepts grows, the time is at hand for a comprehensive encyclopedia of leadership. This collection will be welcomed by all who want to understand this important and complex field. --Howard Gardner, John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and author of Good Work: When Excellence and Ethics Meet (2001) and Leading Minds: An Anatomy of Leadership (1995) In 1975 a wag declared that the concept of leadership should be abandoned. It was not, of course. The 300 contributors to the Encyclopedia of Leadership are leaders among the many thousands of scholars responsible for the health and vast breadth of leadership studies. They show us that leadership plays an important, increasingly integral role today in fields ranging from world politics to community development. --Bernard M. Bass, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Center for Leadership Studies, School of Management, Binghamton University and author of Transformational Leadership: Industrial, Military and Educational Impact (1998) and Leadership and Performance beyond Expectations (1985) This new Encyclopedia provides leaders with the historical perspective and a vision of the tenuous future so essential if leaders of the future are to redefine leadership on their own terms, with their own people. --Frances Hesselbein, Chairman of the Board of Governors, Leader to Leader Institute (formerly the Drucker Foundation) and coeditor of On Creativity, Innovation, and Renewal: A Leader to Leader Guide (2002) and Leading Beyond the Walls (1999) From the earliest times people have been entranced by stories about leaders—about Greek city state rulers, Roman consuls, Chinese emperors, religious potentates, military conquerors, and politicians. Perhaps more importantly, leadership is a challenge and an opportunity facing millions of people in their professional and personal lives. The Encyclopedia of Leadership brings together for the first time everything that is known and truly matters about leadership as part of the human experience. Developed by the award-winning editorial team at Berkshire Publishing Group, the Encyclopedia includes hundreds of articles, written by 280 leading scholars and experts from 17 countries, exploring leadership theories and leadership practice. Entries and sidebars show leadership in action—in corporations and state houses, schools, churches, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations. Questions the Encyclopedia of Leadership will answer: - What is a leader? - What is a great leader? - How does someone become a leader? - What are the types of leadership? - How can leadership theories help us understand contemporary situations? - How can I be a good (and maybe great) leader? The Encyclopedia of Leadership is an unprecedented learning resource. Scholars, students, professionals, and active citizens will turn to the Encyclopedia for guidance on the theory and practice of leadership, for the stories of great leaders, and for the tools and knowledge they need to lead in the 21st century. Key Features - Four volumes - 400 substantive articles, ranging in length from 1000-6000 words - 200 photographs and other illustrations - 250 sidebars drawn from public records, newspaper accounts, memoirs, and ethnography Key Themes - Biographies - Case studies - Followers and followership - Gender issues - Leadership in different disciplines - Leadership in different domains - Leadership styles - Personality characteristics - Situational factors - Theories and concepts The Encyclopedia of Leadership will be a vital tool for librarians with collections in business, management, history, politics, communication, psychology, and a host of other disciplines. Students and teachers in courses ranging from history to psychology, anthropology, and law will also find this an invaluable reference. In addition, there are nearly 900 leadership programs in American post-secondary institutions and a growing number of efforts to develop leadership in high schools. There are leadership studies majors and minors, as well as certificate and Ph.D. programs, in the United States, Belgium, U.K., Japan, and elsewhere. Editorial Board Laurien Alexandre, Antioch University Bruce Avolio, University of Nebraska, Lincoln Martin Chemers, University of California, Santa Cruz Kisuk Cho, Ewha Womans University Joanne Ciulla, University of Richmond David Collinson, Lancaster University, UK Yiannis Gabriel, Imperial College, London Zachary Green, Alexander Institute and University of Maryland Keith Grint, Oxford University Michael Hogg, University of Queensland Jerry Hunt, Texas Tech University Barbara Kellerman, Harvard University Jean Lipman-Blumen, Claremont Graduate University Larraine Matusak, LarCon Associates Ronald Riggio, Claremont McKenna College Jürgen Weibler, Fernuniversitat Hagen Contributors Include Warren Bennis (Management) John Chandler (Higher Education) Cynthia Cherrey (International Leadership Association) Bob Edgerton (Mau Mau Rebellion) Gene Gallagher (Religion) Betty Glad (Camp David Accords and Tyrannical Leadership) Louis Gould (Woodrow Wilson and Lyndon Johnson) Allen Guttmann (Modern Olympics Movement and Women′s Movement) Ronald Heifetz (Adaptive Work) Dale Irvin (Ann Lee) David Malone (Billy Graham) Martin Marty (Martin Luther) Kenneth Ruscio (Trust) Robert Solomon (Friedrich Nietzsche) Robert Sternberg (Intelligence and Tacit Knowledge) Fay Vincent (Sports Industry) Gary Yukl (Influence Tactics and Group Performance) |
| autocratic leaders in history: The Return of Great Power Rivalry Matthew Kroenig, 2020 This book seeks to answer to a central international politics: why do great powers rise and fall? It provides an innovative argument about how domestic political institutions are the key to a state's ability to amass power and influence in the international system. This text also offers a sweeping historical analysis of democratic and autocratic competitors from ancient Greece through the Cold War. This book employs a unique framework to understand and analyze the state of today's competition between the democratic United States and its autocratic competitors, Russia and China. |
| autocratic leaders in history: Hungry Ghosts C J Barker, 2024-03-28 The lives of Vic Woods and Ruth Wolfe, working-class teenagers from Liverpool and London, are profoundly disrupted by the arrival of World War II. Ruth’s journey leads her to aerial photographic interpretation, though her aspirations for advancement are denied, while Vic’s wartime experiences with bomber command haunt him long after the war is over. Their post-war marriage and tumultuous relationship with their son, James, make for a gripping narrative of trauma, conflict and, ultimately, love. Set against the backdrop of World War II and the social upheaval of the late 1960s, Hungry Ghosts transports readers into the drama of two pivotal eras in history, exploring the intergenerational impact of war, particularly on the intricate relationships between fathers and sons. Hungry Ghosts is not just a war story; it’s a timeless exploration of family bonds and the indelible scars left by war. |
| autocratic leaders in history: The Confidence Trap David Runciman, 2017-10-31 Why democracies believe they can survive any crisis—and why that belief is so dangerous Why do democracies keep lurching from success to failure? The current financial crisis is just the latest example of how things continue to go wrong, just when it looked like they were going right. In this wide-ranging, original, and compelling book, David Runciman tells the story of modern democracy through the history of moments of crisis, from the First World War to the economic crash of 2008. A global history with a special focus on the United States, The Confidence Trap examines how democracy survived threats ranging from the Great Depression to the Cuban missile crisis, and from Watergate to the collapse of Lehman Brothers. It also looks at the confusion and uncertainty created by unexpected victories, from the defeat of German autocracy in 1918 to the defeat of communism in 1989. Throughout, the book pays close attention to the politicians and thinkers who grappled with these crises: from Woodrow Wilson, Nehru, and Adenauer to Fukuyama and Obama. In The Confidence Trap, David Runciman shows that democracies are good at recovering from emergencies but bad at avoiding them. The lesson democracies tend to learn from their mistakes is that they can survive them—and that no crisis is as bad as it seems. Breeding complacency rather than wisdom, crises lead to the dangerous belief that democracies can muddle through anything—a confidence trap that may lead to a crisis that is just too big to escape, if it hasn't already. The most serious challenges confronting democracy today are debt, the war on terror, the rise of China, and climate change. If democracy is to survive them, it must figure out a way to break the confidence trap. |
| autocratic leaders in history: Dictators at War and Peace Jessica L. P. Weeks, 2014-09-08 Why do some autocratic leaders pursue aggressive or expansionist foreign policies, while others are much more cautious in their use of military force? The first book to focus systematically on the foreign policy of different types of authoritarian regimes, Dictators at War and Peace breaks new ground in our understanding of the international behavior of dictators. Jessica L. P. Weeks explains why certain kinds of regimes are less likely to resort to war than others, why some are more likely to win the wars they start, and why some authoritarian leaders face domestic punishment for foreign policy failures whereas others can weather all but the most serious military defeat. Using novel cross-national data, Weeks looks at various nondemocratic regimes, including those of Saddam Hussein and Joseph Stalin; the Argentine junta at the time of the Falklands War, the military government in Japan before and during World War II, and the North Vietnamese communist regime. She finds that the differences in the conflict behavior of distinct kinds of autocracies are as great as those between democracies and dictatorships. Indeed, some types of autocracies are no more belligerent or reckless than democracies, casting doubt on the common view that democracies are more selective about war than autocracies. |
| autocratic leaders in history: Authoritarian Nightmare John Dean, Bob Altemeyer, 2021-06-22 Donald Trump may be gone from the White House, but the 75 million people who voted for him are still out there . . . Updated to reflect election results, this is a look at the entirety of the Trump phenomenon, using psychological and social science studies, as well as polling analyses, to understand Donald Trump's followers, and what they will do now that he's gone. To find out, John Dean, of Watergate fame, joined with Bob Altemeyer, a professor of psychology with a unique area of expertise: Authoritarianism. Relying on social science findings and psychological diagnostic tools (such as the Power Mad Scale and the Con Man Scale), and including exclusive research and analysis from the Monmouth University Polling Institute (one of America's most respected public opinion research foundations), the authors provide us with an eye-opening understanding of the Trump phenomenon — and how it may not go away, whatever becomes of Trump. |
| autocratic leaders in history: The Emergence of Charismatic Business Leadership Richard S. Tedlow, 2021-09-14 The author of Giants of Enterprise examines the evolving role of business leaders in the 21st century—with essential lessons from today’s trailblazers. In The Emergence of Charismatic Business Leadership, Harvard Business School Emeritus professor Richard S. Tedlow reveals how a handful of individuals have transformed modern-day leadership, making charisma essential to the role. He looks at leaders like Oprah Winfrey, Elon Musk, and Steve Jobs: three pioneers who found success by innovating their management style and using their charisma to champion their vision. Through Tedlow’s in-depth accounts of modern business history, we see how former outsiders attain power and influence, and how charismatic leadership enables the creation of revolutionary products like the battery electric vehicle and the smart phone. But Tedlow also considers the careers of people who used their charisma to mislead, such as Jeff Skilling of Enron and Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos. In this thorough examination, Tedlow shows how charisma, when combined with genuine character, can get you far. |
| autocratic leaders in history: Autocracy Rising Javier Corrales, 2023-02-06 How Nicolás Maduro reinvented authoritarianism for the twenty-first centurVenezuela, which once enjoyed periods of democratically elected governments in the latter half of the twentieth century, has descended into autocratic rule, coupled with economic collapse. In his new book, Autocracy Rising, veteran scholar of Latin American politics Javier Corrales explores how and why this happened. Corrales focuses on two themes: party systems and institutional capacity. He argues that Venezuela’s democratic backsliding advanced when the ruling party obtained far too much electoral clout while the opposition fragmented. The state then took control of formerly independent agencies of the state. This allowed the ruling party to use and abuse of the law to favor the president—which in turn generated a permanent economic crisis. After succeeding Hugo Chávez in 2013, Nicolás Maduro confronted, unexpectedly, another change in the party system: a rising opposition. This triggered deeper autocratization. To survive, the state was compelled to modernize autocratic practices and seek alliances with sinister partners. In short, Maduro concentrated power, paradoxically, by sharing power. Autocracy Rising compares what occurred in Venezuela to twenty other cases throughout Latin America where presidents were forced out of office. Corrales illuminates the depressing cycle in which semi-authoritarian regimes become increasingly autocratic in response to crisis, only to cause new crises that lead to even greater authoritarianism. |
| autocratic leaders in history: Why Nations Fail Daron Acemoglu, James A. Robinson, 2013-09-17 Brilliant and engagingly written, Why Nations Fail answers the question that has stumped the experts for centuries: Why are some nations rich and others poor, divided by wealth and poverty, health and sickness, food and famine? Is it culture, the weather, geography? Perhaps ignorance of what the right policies are? Simply, no. None of these factors is either definitive or destiny. Otherwise, how to explain why Botswana has become one of the fastest growing countries in the world, while other African nations, such as Zimbabwe, the Congo, and Sierra Leone, are mired in poverty and violence? Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson conclusively show that it is man-made political and economic institutions that underlie economic success (or lack of it). Korea, to take just one of their fascinating examples, is a remarkably homogeneous nation, yet the people of North Korea are among the poorest on earth while their brothers and sisters in South Korea are among the richest. The south forged a society that created incentives, rewarded innovation, and allowed everyone to participate in economic opportunities. The economic success thus spurred was sustained because the government became accountable and responsive to citizens and the great mass of people. Sadly, the people of the north have endured decades of famine, political repression, and very different economic institutions—with no end in sight. The differences between the Koreas is due to the politics that created these completely different institutional trajectories. Based on fifteen years of original research Acemoglu and Robinson marshall extraordinary historical evidence from the Roman Empire, the Mayan city-states, medieval Venice, the Soviet Union, Latin America, England, Europe, the United States, and Africa to build a new theory of political economy with great relevance for the big questions of today, including: - China has built an authoritarian growth machine. Will it continue to grow at such high speed and overwhelm the West? - Are America’s best days behind it? Are we moving from a virtuous circle in which efforts by elites to aggrandize power are resisted to a vicious one that enriches and empowers a small minority? - What is the most effective way to help move billions of people from the rut of poverty to prosperity? More philanthropy from the wealthy nations of the West? Or learning the hard-won lessons of Acemoglu and Robinson’s breakthrough ideas on the interplay between inclusive political and economic institutions? Why Nations Fail will change the way you look at—and understand—the world. |
| autocratic leaders in history: A Brief History of Fascist Lies Federico Finchelstein, 2022-08-01 There is no better book on fascism's complex and vexed relationship with truth.—Jason Stanley, author of How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them In this short companion to his book From Fascism to Populism in History, world-renowned historian Federico Finchelstein explains why fascists regarded simple and often hateful lies as truth, and why so many of their followers believed the falsehoods. Throughout the history of the twentieth century, many supporters of fascist ideologies regarded political lies as truth incarnated in their leader. From Hitler to Mussolini, fascist leaders capitalized on lies as the base of their power and popular sovereignty. This history continues in the present, when lies again seem to increasingly replace empirical truth. Now that actual news is presented as “fake news” and false news becomes government policy, A Brief History of Fascist Lies urges us to remember that the current talk of “post-truth” has a long political and intellectual lineage that we cannot ignore. |
| autocratic leaders in history: Surviving Autocracy Masha Gessen, 2021-06-01 “When Gessen speaks about autocracy, you listen.” —The New York Times “A reckoning with what has been lost in the past few years and a map forward with our beliefs intact.” —Interview As seen on MSNBC’s Morning Joe and heard on NPR’s All Things Considered: the bestselling, National Book Award–winning journalist offers an essential guide to understanding, resisting, and recovering from the ravages of our tumultuous times. This incisive book provides an essential guide to understanding and recovering from the calamitous corrosion of American democracy over the past few years. Thanks to the special perspective that is the legacy of a Soviet childhood and two decades covering the resurgence of totalitarianism in Russia, Masha Gessen has a sixth sense for the manifestations of autocracy—and the unique cross-cultural fluency to delineate their emergence to Americans. Gessen not only anatomizes the corrosion of the institutions and cultural norms we hoped would save us but also tells us the story of how a short few years changed us from a people who saw ourselves as a nation of immigrants to a populace haggling over a border wall, heirs to a degraded sense of truth, meaning, and possibility. Surviving Autocracy is an inventory of ravages and a call to account but also a beacon to recovery—and to the hope of what comes next. |
| autocratic leaders in history: Democratic Transitions Sergio Bitar, Abraham F. Lowenthal, 2015-09-15 Thirteen former presidents and prime ministers discuss how they helped their countries end authoritarian rule and achieve democracy. National leaders who played key roles in transitions to democratic governance reveal how these were accomplished in Brazil, Chile, Ghana, Indonesia, Mexico, the Philippines, Poland, South Africa, and Spain. Commissioned by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), these interviews shed fascinating light on how repressive regimes were ended and democracy took hold. In probing conversations with Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Patricio Aylwin, Ricardo Lagos, John Kufuor, Jerry Rawlings, B. J. Habibie, Ernesto Zedillo, Fidel V. Ramos, Aleksander Kwaśniewski, Tadeusz Mazowiecki, F. W. de Klerk, Thabo Mbeki, and Felipe González, editors Sergio Bitar and Abraham F. Lowenthal focused on each leader’s principal challenges and goals as well as their strategies to end authoritarian rule and construct democratic governance. Context-setting introductions by country experts highlight each nation’s unique experience as well as recurrent challenges all transitions faced. A chapter by Georgina Waylen analyzes the role of women leaders, often underestimated. A foreword by Tunisia’s former president, Mohamed Moncef Marzouki, underlines the book’s relevance in North Africa, West Asia, and beyond. The editors’ conclusion distills lessons about how democratic transitions have been and can be carried out in a changing world, emphasizing the importance of political leadership. This unique book should be valuable for political leaders, civil society activists, journalists, scholars, and all who want to support democratic transitions. |
| autocratic leaders in history: Revolution and Reaction Kurt Weyland, 2019-03-28 Explains how bold efforts at profound progressive change provoked a powerful reactionary backlash that led to the imposition of brutal, regressive dictatorships. |
| autocratic leaders in history: Competitive Authoritarianism Steven Levitsky, Lucan A. Way, 2010-08-16 Based on a detailed study of 35 cases in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and post-communist Eurasia, this book explores the fate of competitive authoritarian regimes between 1990 and 2008. It finds that where social, economic, and technocratic ties to the West were extensive, as in Eastern Europe and the Americas, the external cost of abuse led incumbents to cede power rather than crack down, which led to democratization. Where ties to the West were limited, external democratizing pressure was weaker and countries rarely democratized. In these cases, regime outcomes hinged on the character of state and ruling party organizations. Where incumbents possessed developed and cohesive coercive party structures, they could thwart opposition challenges, and competitive authoritarian regimes survived; where incumbents lacked such organizational tools, regimes were unstable but rarely democratized. |
| autocratic leaders in history: Political Leadership in Africa Giovanni Carbone, Alessandro Pellegata, 2020-03-19 An innovative analysis of political leadership in Africa between 1960 and 2018, drawing on an entirely new dataset. |
| autocratic leaders in history: Encyclopedia of Educational Leadership and Administration Fenwick W. English, 2006-02-16 To read some sample entries, or to view the Readers Guide click on Sample Chapters/Additional Materials in the left column under About This Book The Encyclopedia of Educational Leadership and Administration presents the most recent theories, research, terms, concepts, ideas, and histories on educational leadership and school administration as taught in preparation programs and practiced in schools and colleges today. With more than 600 entries, written by more than 200 professors, graduate students, practitioners, and association officials, the two volumes of this encyclopedia represent the most comprehensive knowledge base of educational leadership and school administration that has, as yet, been compiled. Key Features Represents a knowledge dynamic of the field by presenting ideas and perspectives that are in the minds, hearts, and aspirations of those practicing in the profession Includes a wide range of topics covering teaching and learning, curriculum, psychology and motivation, budgeting and finance, law, statistics, research, personnel management, planning, supervision, and much more Contains more than 75 biographical sketches of people whose ideas, aspirations, and lives have contributed much to the profession Animates the reader′s thinking and defines possibilities by presenting terms, ideas, concepts, research, and theories that are circulating in the field The Encyclopedia of Educational Leadership and Administration is a must-have reference for all academic libraries as well as a welcome addition to any leadership in education collection. |
| autocratic leaders in history: Historical Outlook , 1919 |
| autocratic leaders in history: Terrorism in Perspective Sue Mahan, Pamala L. Griset, 2008 Introduction -- What is terrorism? -- History of terrorism -- International terrorism -- Terrorist tactics around the globe -- Homegrown terrorism in the united states -- Media coverage of terrorism -- Women terrorists -- Technology and terrorism -- Counterterrorism. |
| autocratic leaders in history: Spin Dictators Daniel Treisman, Sergei Guriev, 2023-04-04 A New Yorker Best Book of the Year A Foreign Affairs Best Book of the Year An Atlantic Best Book of the Year A Financial Times Best Politics Book of the Year How a new breed of dictators holds power by manipulating information and faking democracy Hitler, Stalin, and Mao ruled through violence, fear, and ideology. But in recent decades a new breed of media-savvy strongmen has been redesigning authoritarian rule for a more sophisticated, globally connected world. In place of overt, mass repression, rulers such as Vladimir Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Viktor Orbán control their citizens by distorting information and simulating democratic procedures. Like spin doctors in democracies, they spin the news to engineer support. Uncovering this new brand of authoritarianism, Sergei Guriev and Daniel Treisman explain the rise of such “spin dictators,” describing how they emerge and operate, the new threats they pose, and how democracies should respond. Spin Dictators traces how leaders such as Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew and Peru’s Alberto Fujimori pioneered less violent, more covert, and more effective methods of monopolizing power. They cultivated an image of competence, concealed censorship, and used democratic institutions to undermine democracy, all while increasing international engagement for financial and reputational benefits. The book reveals why most of today’s authoritarians are spin dictators—and how they differ from the remaining “fear dictators” such as Kim Jong-un and Bashar al-Assad, as well as from masters of high-tech repression like Xi Jinping. Offering incisive portraits of today’s authoritarian leaders, Spin Dictators explains some of the great political puzzles of our time—from how dictators can survive in an age of growing modernity to the disturbing convergence and mutual sympathy between dictators and populists like Donald Trump. |
| autocratic leaders in history: Backsliding Stephan Haggard, Robert Kaufman, 2021-02-11 Assaults on democracy are increasingly coming from the actions of duly elected governments, rather than coups. Backsliding examines the processes through which elected rulers weaken checks on executive power, curtail political and civil liberties, and undermine the integrity of the electoral system. Drawing on detailed case studies, including the United States and countries in Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Africa, the book focuses on three, inter-related causal mechanisms: the pernicious effects of polarization; realignments of party systems that enable elected autocrats to gain legislative power; and the incremental nature of derogations, which divides oppositions and keeps them off balance. A concluding chapter looks at the international context of backsliding and the role of new technologies in these processes. An online appendix provides detailed accounts of backsliding in 16 countries, which can be found at www.cambridge.org/backsliding. |
| autocratic leaders in history: How Dictatorships Work Barbara Geddes, Joseph George Wright, Erica Frantz, 2018-08-23 Explains how dictatorships rise, survive, and fall, along with why some but not all dictators wield vast powers. |
| autocratic leaders in history: Long Walk to Freedom Nelson Mandela, 2008-03-11 Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand history – and then go out and change it. –President Barack Obama Nelson Mandela was one of the great moral and political leaders of his time: an international hero whose lifelong dedication to the fight against racial oppression in South Africa won him the Nobel Peace Prize and the presidency of his country. After his triumphant release in 1990 from more than a quarter-century of imprisonment, Mandela was at the center of the most compelling and inspiring political drama in the world. As president of the African National Congress and head of South Africa's antiapartheid movement, he was instrumental in moving the nation toward multiracial government and majority rule. He is still revered everywhere as a vital force in the fight for human rights and racial equality. Long Walk to Freedom is his moving and exhilarating autobiography, destined to take its place among the finest memoirs of history's greatest figures. Here for the first time, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela told the extraordinary story of his life -- an epic of struggle, setback, renewed hope, and ultimate triumph. The book that inspired the major motion picture Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. |
| autocratic leaders in history: Team of Rivals Doris Kearns Goodwin, 2006-12-08 One of the most influential books of the past fifty years, Team of Rivals is Pulitzer Prize–winning author and esteemed presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin’s modern classic about the political genius of Abraham Lincoln, his unlikely presidency, and his cabinet of former political foes. Winner of the prestigious Lincoln Prize and the inspiration for the Oscar Award winning–film Lincoln, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, directed by Steven Spielberg, and written by Tony Kushner. On May 18, 1860, William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Edward Bates, and Abraham Lincoln waited in their hometowns for the results from the Republican National Convention in Chicago. When Lincoln emerged as the victor, his rivals were dismayed and angry. Throughout the turbulent 1850s, each had energetically sought the presidency as the conflict over slavery was leading inexorably to secession and civil war. That Lincoln succeeded, Goodwin demonstrates, was the result of a character that had been forged by experiences that raised him above his more privileged and accomplished rivals. He won because he possessed an extraordinary ability to put himself in the place of other men, to experience what they were feeling, to understand their motives and desires. It was this capacity that enabled Lincoln as president to bring his disgruntled opponents together, create the most unusual cabinet in history, and marshal their talents to the task of preserving the Union and winning the war. We view the long, horrifying struggle from the vantage of the White House as Lincoln copes with incompetent generals, hostile congressmen, and his raucous cabinet. He overcomes these obstacles by winning the respect of his former competitors, and in the case of Seward, finds a loyal and crucial friend to see him through. This brilliant multiple biography is centered on Lincoln's mastery of men and how it shaped the most significant presidency in the nation's history. |
| autocratic leaders in history: Blackwell Handbook of Social Psychology Michael A. Hogg, Scott Tindale, 2008-04-15 This handbook provides an authoritative, up-to-date overview of the social psychology of group processes. The topics covered include group decisions, juries, group remembering, roles, status, leadership, social identity and group membership, socialization, group performance, negotiation and bargaining, emotion and mood, computer-mediated communication, organizations and mental health. Provides an authoritative, up-to-date overview of the social psychology of group processes. Written by leading researchers from around the world to provide a classic and current overview of research as well as providing a description of future trends within the area. Includes coverage of group decisions, juries, group remembering, roles, status, leadership, social identity and group membership, socialization, group performance, negotiation and bargaining, emotion and mood, computer-mediated communication, organizations and mental health. Essential reading for any serious scholar of group behavior. Now available in full text online via xreferplus, the award-winning reference library on the web from xrefer. For more information, visit www.xreferplus.com |
Autocracy - Wikipedia
Autocracy is a form of government in which absolute power is held by the head of state and government, known as an autocrat. It includes some forms of monarchy and all forms of …
AUTOCRATIC Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of AUTOCRATIC is of, relating to, or being an autocracy : absolute. How to use autocratic in a sentence. Did you know?
Autocratic Leadership: Characteristics, Pros, Cons, and Tips
Jun 27, 2023 · Autocratic leadership, also known as authoritarian leadership, is a leadership style characterized by individual control over all decisions and little input from group members. …
AUTOCRATIC | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
AUTOCRATIC definition: 1. demanding that people obey completely, without asking or caring about anyone else's opinions…. Learn more.
AUTOCRATIC definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
An autocratic person or organization has complete power and makes decisions without asking anyone else's advice.
AUTOCRATIC Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
Unquestioning fealty often excuses autocratic leaders from frivolities such as laws, constitutional constraints or any checks on power: The leader is perceived not to be working for his own …
autocratic adjective - Definition, pictures, pronunciation ...
expecting to be obeyed by other people and not caring about their opinions or feelings. Definition of autocratic adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, …
Autocratic - definition of autocratic by The Free Dictionary
autocratic - offensively self-assured or given to exercising usually unwarranted power; "an autocratic person"; "autocratic behavior"; "a bossy way of ordering others around"; "a rather …
Autocratic - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms - Vocabulary.com
Autocratic describes a way of ruling, but not in a nice way. An autocratic leader is one who rules with an iron fist; in other words — someone with the behavior of a dictator. Autocratic rulers …
What does autocratic mean? - Definitions.net
Autocratic refers to a system of governance or management where one individual has absolute power and control, making decisions without consulting others. This term is often associated …
Autocracy - Wikipedia
Autocracy is a form of government in which absolute power is held by the head of state and government, known as an autocrat. It includes some forms of monarchy and all forms of …
AUTOCRATIC Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of AUTOCRATIC is of, relating to, or being an autocracy : absolute. How to use autocratic in a sentence. Did you know?
Autocratic Leadership: Characteristics, Pros, Cons, and Tips
Jun 27, 2023 · Autocratic leadership, also known as authoritarian leadership, is a leadership style characterized by individual control over all decisions and little input from group members. …
AUTOCRATIC | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
AUTOCRATIC definition: 1. demanding that people obey completely, without asking or caring about anyone else's opinions…. Learn more.
AUTOCRATIC definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
An autocratic person or organization has complete power and makes decisions without asking anyone else's advice.
AUTOCRATIC Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
Unquestioning fealty often excuses autocratic leaders from frivolities such as laws, constitutional constraints or any checks on power: The leader is perceived not to be working for his own …
autocratic adjective - Definition, pictures, pronunciation ...
expecting to be obeyed by other people and not caring about their opinions or feelings. Definition of autocratic adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, …
Autocratic - definition of autocratic by The Free Dictionary
autocratic - offensively self-assured or given to exercising usually unwarranted power; "an autocratic person"; "autocratic behavior"; "a bossy way of ordering others around"; "a rather …
Autocratic - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms - Vocabulary.com
Autocratic describes a way of ruling, but not in a nice way. An autocratic leader is one who rules with an iron fist; in other words — someone with the behavior of a dictator. Autocratic rulers …
What does autocratic mean? - Definitions.net
Autocratic refers to a system of governance or management where one individual has absolute power and control, making decisions without consulting others. This term is often associated …
