
First published Prospect 20/03/2018
About two-fifths of states deemed to be autocratic nowadays are “strongman” regimes, and most of the world’s population now lives in states that are deemed to be not free or only partly free. Welcome to the world of “bad emperors.” The so-called “bad emperor” problem originated in China. It is not so much about autocracy, per se, because benevolent and wise autocratic rulers can do good things. The devilish question is how to guarantee a persistent supply of good rulers, and the answer is that it is impossible….read on….https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/blogs/george-magnus/are-authoritarian-states-better-at-delivering-economic-growth