The Dictator's Handbook: Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics

by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita

To understand politics properly, we must modify one assumption in particular: we must stop thinking that leaders can lead unilaterally.

Ruling is about staying in power, not about good governance.

Absolute selfish nature of human. Contrast with the picture drawn in Rosling's book: Factfulness

“Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers.”

Letting people die is good governance in autocracy, but it is disastrous for the tenure of democrats.

Need to find stats to understand autocrat vs democrat governments over time.. Rosling to the rescue!!