{"product_id":"the-dictators-handbook-bruce-bueno-de-mesquita-9781541701366","title":"The Dictator's Handbook: Why Bad Behavior Is Almost Always Good Politics","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNow featuring a new chapter on the rise of illiberalism worldwide. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e As featured in the viral video \"Rules for Rulers,\" which has been viewed over fifteen million times. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith's canonical book on political science turned conventional wisdom on its head. They started 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 must. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Newly updated to reflect the global rise of authoritarianism, this clever and accessible book illustrates how leaders amass and retain power. As Bueno de Mesquita and Smith show, democracy is essentially 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. And it is also the key to returning power to the people. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, Alastair Smith\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1541701364\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781541701366\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e PublicAffairs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/26\/2022\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 400\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.70lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.20h x 5.40w x 1.40d","brand":"Bruce Bueno de Mesquita","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":44044180488447,"sku":"9781541701366","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_74e192e1-1aec-4c40-9be4-e94097b5f880.jpg?v=1684971385","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-dictators-handbook-bruce-bueno-de-mesquita-9781541701366","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}