How do modern dictators operate? Why has Putin opted for old-style fear dictatorship? Is Erdogan a modern dictator? What do the two men have in common? What is the future of democracy?

Marilisa Anastasopoulou hosts Daniel Treisman, “modern” dictatorship expert and discuss how Putin and Erdogan have ruled for the last two decades and what they have in common. 

 Moreover, they talk about democracies, spin and fear dictatorships in the world today and what are the current trends. 

 Daniel Treisman, professor of political science at the university of California, has co-authored together with Sergei Guriev, the book "Spin Dictators: The Changing Face of Tyranny in the 21st Century ".

 In their book they argue that the dominant model of dictatorship has changed. There is a new type of dictatorship that is not so brutal and bloody and based on fear, the way Mao and Stalin ruled for example, but that is less violent, and it manipulates information and the system so that people genuinely support the leader. This intermediate modern model is called "Spin Dictatorship".


Interesting links related to this podcast:

 Andrei Shleifer & Daniel Treisman: A normal country: Russia after communism (2005)

https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/0895330053147949

 Daniel Treisman: The reverse evolution of spin dictatorship- Putin goes to war (2022)

https://re-russia.net/en/expertise/026/

 Guardian video: Putin's Russia: dictator syndrome and the rise of a 'mafia state'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irzB-C9eSrQ

 ABC News video: The New Tsar: How Putin Became Russia's Dictator | Foreign Correspondent

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAncC-f5uGQ