Determined to project their influence abroad, authoritarian regimes are subverting international rules and norms while disguising their misdeeds. The easiest way to do this? Convince the world they are benign, upstanding members of the international community. Autocrats are therefore devising increasingly devious means to manipulate the narrative, launder their reputations, and maintain power.
The Journal of Democracy essays below explore the myriad ways in which autocrats try to clean up their image, and how citizens can see through the façades. Read free for a limited time.
How Dictators Use Sports to Win Friends and Influence People
Authoritarians are developing new tools to project their malign influence across the globe. The world of sports can teach us a lot about the games they play.
Sarath K. GanjiThe Rise of Sportswashing
The staggering global popularity of soccer makes it a prime target for regimes that worry about the negative press they get for their undemocratic practices. The Gulf monarchies have led the way in getting into the wide world of sports as a means of cleaning their image.
Sarath K. GanjiGulf States and Sharp Power: Allies to Adversaries
The UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar are spreading their influence across borders. A new dangerous chapter between the Gulf monarchies and the West has begun.
Christopher DavidsonHow Autocrats Weaponize Women’s Rights
Why are authoritarian regimes championing gender equality? Modern dictators want to appear progressive, liberal, and democratic, while distracting from their worst abuses.
Elin Bjarnegård and Pär ZetterbergLaundering Cash, Whitewashing Reputations
To safeguard their ill-gotten gains, kleptocrats rely on a web of transnational relationships and the complicity of Western fixers.
Alexander Cooley, John Heathershaw, and J.C. SharmanThe Rise of Kleptocracy: Autocrats versus Activists in Africa
Central African autocrats are using their stolen money to outmaneuver opponents and deflect international criticism.
Brett L. Carter
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