Join NYU's Jordan Center for a talk with Daniel Treisman, University of California, Los Angeles, on “informational autocrats” with a special focus on one of the pioneers of this form: Russia’s Vladimir Putin. In contrast to 20th-century autocracies that were based largely on fear, modern autocracies tend to be less bloody and ideological. Treisman poses the question: How do the new dictators survive without using the standard tools of 20th century authoritarians and without the traditional legitimacy that supported historical monarchs, or even the revolutionary charisma of anti-colonial leaders? In his work with the economist Sergei Guriev, Dr. Treisman explores the modus operandi of such regimes. The key, they argue, is the manipulation of information. At the Jordan Center, Treisman will present his findings on these “informational autocrats” with a special focus on Vladimir Putin.

Speaker:

Daniel Treisman, professor of political science, University of California, Los Angeles; research associate, National Bureau of Economic Research