This chapter explores the concept of the selectorate in political systems, including dictatorships, and discusses the idea of a winning coalition. It examines how the size of the winning coalition and the ratio of the winning coalition to the selectorate differentiate democracies from dictatorships.
Bruce Bueno de Mesquita of NYU and Stanford University's Hoover Institution talks about the incentives facing dictators and democratic leaders. Both have to face competition from rivals. Both try to please their constituents and cronies to stay in power. He applies his insights to foreign aid, the Middle East, Venezuela, the potential for China's evolution to a more democratic system, and Cuba. Along the way, he explains why true democracy is more than just elections--it depends crucially on freedom of assembly and freedom of the press.