Dictatorship

People living in democratic countries like India think of dictatorships in association with human
rights abuses, poverty and turmoil. Indeed, dictatorships have cost untold lives, including up to
49 million Russian deaths under Joseph Stalin, and up to 3 million Cambodian deaths under Pol
Pot.
Given these numbers, ending dictatorship once and for all would seem a worthwhile goal. But is
that likely? What allows a dictator to thrive, and how might things change in the future for
these leaders?
Most experts who study dictatorships start with a simple definition: “When there’s no change
in power of the ruler, then it’s a dictatorship,” says Natasha Ezrow, a senior lecturer in the
department of government at the University of Essex.
Unlike monarchs, who are drawn from a very small pool of people – usually a royal family –
dictators can be selected from a large portion of the population.
A ‘clique of cronies’ is all-important for the dictator
Dictatorships may or may not include some degree of state terror. “When you depend on the
support of very few people to stay in power, then the efficient way to govern is through
corruption, bribery, blackmail, extortion and so forth. You can keep a small group of people
loyal by paying them really well,” says Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, a professor of politics.
Given this set up of power, a dictator who wants to remain at the top doesn't work on behalf of
the larger population, but for the benefit of the handful of people he depends on for
maintaining control.
Even after paying cronies off, however, there still tends to be a lot of discretionary money left
over, and that’s where the dictator’s character is really tested. He can either ferret that money
away for himself and his supporters, or he can use it to better the lives of his citizens. But even
if he falls into the latter category – and plenty of dictators do – that doesn’t mean things will go
well. Having genuinely good intentions for society does not automatically translate into having
actual good ideas for implementing those intentions, as some have so disastrously
demonstrated. In their attempts to improve their citizens’ welfare, these authoritarian leaders
made their subjects worse off. “So dictatorships could work out, but they are a very risky thing
to gamble on,” Bueno de Mesquita says.
The job opening of dictator appeals to the nastier of our species – Steven Pinker
Researchers identify another common problem associated with dictatorships. Dictators are not
evil by definition, but many do share a particular set of unfortunate personality traits. They
might harbour fantasies of unlimited power, beauty, glory, honour and domination, paired with
a lack of empathy. “Probably, the job opening of dictator appeals to the nastier end of the
range of our species, in particular, to narcissists” says Steven Pinker, a professor of psychology
at Harvard University.
But just as violence on a whole has declined across history, so, too, has the number of
dictatorships, especially since the 1970s, as regimes across Latin America and Eastern Europe
fell. Overall, though, dictatorships are scarcer now than they were in the past. “It’s harder for
people to justify dictatorships today, partly because the whole globe is in the eye of the media,”
says Richard Overy a historian at the University of Exeter. “Getting away with things is more
difficult than it used to be.”
Economic pressure can topple dictatorships
Consequently, days might be numbered on at least some remaining dictatorships – particularly
if their oppressive rule is contributing to home-grown economic problems. “When you’re
operating in an economy that’s perpetuating your collapse, your backers become nervous that
you won’t be able to help them, so they start to shop around,” Bueno de Mesquita says. Such
situations sometimes result in military coups, he adds, which tend to push countries in a more
positive direction for citizen wellbeing, at least based on past examples.
Consequently, days might be numbered on at least some remaining dictatorships – particularly
if their oppressive rule is contributing to home-grown economic problems.

Glossary
in association with – to connect with
state terror - terrorism practiced by a government against its own people
clique-a small group of friends
crony – close friend
corruption – dishonesty
bribe -
money or some other benefit given to a person in power, especially a public official, in an effort
to cause the person to take a particular action.
discretionary - Available for use as needed or desired
narcissists – a conceited self-centered person
regime - A government, especially an oppressive or undemocratic one
oppressive - Exercising power arbitrarily and often unjustly; tyrannical.
perpetuating - make (something) continue indefinitely.