Autocracy

Commentary

Instability Threatens the Sahel

Rohan Gunaratna | Apr 26, 2012

Weapons and unrest are spreading from Libya and inflaming long-dormant tensions throughout the region.

Mubarak's Old Stalwarts Vie for Supremacy

Khairi Abaza | Apr 25, 2012

As Egypt's historic presidential election looms, key figures from the old regime scramble and scheme to make their mark on postrevolutionary politics.

The Fall of Bo Xilai

Robert Keatley | Apr 24, 2012

The dramatic story of China's ousted princeling reveals much about the country's deep-rooted corruption—and its aversion to reform.

More Commentary

Essays

The Global Power Shift from West to East

Christopher Layne | Apr 25, 2012

Pax Americana and the age of Western dominance are fading. Washington can manage this decline, but first it must acknowledge its reality. History moves forward with a crushing force and does not wait for the unprepared.

Romancing the Throne

Patrick Allitt | Jun 21, 2011

Dynastic survival. Diplomatic alliances. Religious supremacy. Ahh, the good old days of monarchical marriage. From the drunken George to the uppity Victoria, what was once the realm of high politics is now the domain of celebrity culture.

The Good Autocrat

Robert D. Kaplan | Jun 21, 2011

A stark contrast exists between the tyrannical rulers of the Middle East and the benign despots of East Asia. The precepts of Enlightenment thought dictate freedom for all, but Confucian leaders offer a heretical alternative to Western ideals.

Ahmadinejad vs. The Ayatollah

Abbas Milani | Jun 21, 2011

A battle royal between the president and the supreme leader has engulfed Tehran. The result? Khamenei and his allies are methodically and ruthlessly establishing the planet’s most unabashed theocratic despotism.

Hegemony with Chinese Characteristics

Aaron L. Friedberg | Jun 21, 2011

At its core, ideology fuels the epic struggle between Washington and Beijing. Deeply insecure about its own legitimacy, the Communist Party seeks the subordination of its regional neighbors to appease the nationalist wing of its body politic.

Ghosts of Fascists Past

Ian Kershaw | Feb 23, 2011

Engulfed by bank failures and street protests not seen since the Great Depression, Europe appears ripe for a fascist renaissance. This century's scapegoat: Muslim immigrants. Is the Continent ripe for a fascist renaissance?