How to beat the strongmen – and save democracy

How do we overcome opportunist strongmen leaders, who grab power while nations are in turmoil? As countries battle stagnant growth, high inflation and inept governments, we’ve seen a rise in autocracies. Charles Dunst, author of Defeating the Dictators: How Democracy Can Prevail in the Age of the Strongman joins Andrew Harrison to ask what the allure of these dictators is and why they are thriving in uncertain times. 

• “The majority of autocracies don’t work, but in the richest ones there is no yearning for democracy.” 
• “If you’re a developing country, the road to riches often leads to the Singapore model.” 
• “Meritocracy has become a dirty word.”

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Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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