Library:Spin Dictators
| Spin Dictators | |
|---|---|
| Author | Sergei Guriev and Daniel Treisman |
| First published | 2022 |
| ISBN | 978-0-691-22446-6 unverified |
| Role | Analysis |
| Domains | Politics & Elections Technology & Media |
| Tactics | Propaganda Technique Manipulation |
Spin Dictators is a 2022 book by Sergei Guriev and Daniel Treisman.
Summary
Sergei Guriev, an economist, and Daniel Treisman, a political scientist, describe a shift in how many authoritarian leaders hold power.
From fear to spin
The authors argue that while 20th-century dictators relied on mass terror and ideology, many modern autocrats rule mainly by manipulating information: they fake democratic legitimacy, co-opt or quietly pressure media, project competence and avoid visible violence. They call these "spin dictators" or informational autocracies.
Examples
Cases include Alberto Fujimori in Peru, Hugo Chávez in Venezuela, Viktor Orbán in Hungary and the early rule of Vladimir Putin in Russia. The book also discusses how such regimes can revert to open repression.
Relevance to Bullshitopedia
The book explains why modern propaganda often looks less like posters and parades and more like polished media management, a pattern visible in many current entries.
Related entries
- Nicolás Maduro won Venezuela's 2024 election
- Russia's athletes competed clean at the 2014 Sochi Olympics
- Library:Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible