Do autocrats and strong economies go hand in hand?
By Edward Hadas
August 15, 2014
By Edward Hadas
The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.
Are authoritarian governments bad for the economy? Turkish voters do not seem to think so. On August 10, Tayyip Erdogan won an absolute majority in the country’s presidential election. Observers say that the country’s increasing prosperity is a big part of his AK Party’s appeal. Erdogan is not the only popular authoritarian around. Viktor Orban, who reportedly endorsed “illiberal” government, wins similar majorities in Hungary. If Russia had an election today, President Vladimir Putin would win big. And Xi Jinping, who seems to be making one-party rule in China more authoritarian, would undoubtedly triumph if the government bothered with elections.
More:Do autocrats and strong economies go hand in hand? | Edward Hadas
