Pretty much, you point to a problem and good reasoning about why people are doing what they are doing and what constraints they face in terms of how others will behave, and you’re looking at a problem that could be improved upon by game-theoretic reasoning. Bruce Bueno de Mesquita Read Quote
If you’re running a dictatorship, you don’t really have to worry about the welfare or the property rights of the ordinary citizen. Only the people who keep you in power, a very small group, matter. Bruce Bueno de Mesquita Read Quote
To understand why dictators fall, it helps to recognise factors that produce a perfect anti-dictatorial storm. Barring missteps such as those that led to Gaddafi’s undoing, a dictator’s survival can be at risk because of newness in office, poor health, or old age combined with economic trouble. Bruce Bueno de Mesquita Read Quote
Dictators, unlike Democrats, depend on a small coterie to sustain their power. These backers, generally drawn from the military, the senior civil service, and family or clan members, have a synergistic relationship with their dictator. The dictator delivers opportunities for them to become rich, and they protect him from being overthrown. Bruce Bueno de Mesquita Read Quote
