Autocracy, Inc.

The world’s autocrats are a canny bunch, Atlantic magazine’s Pulitzer Prize winner Anne Applebaum writes in this slim but robust study. They’ve adapted to the democratizing force of information technology by building powerful domestic security systems, sabotaged international sanctions by trading among themselves, and allowed global pariahs such as Venezuela and Cuba to get what they need from China and Russia.

Autocracy

In the 21st century, autocratic states cooperate through interdependent financial, security, and technology networks. Today’s autocrats amass fortunes through secrecy and the repression of accountability. The rulers of Venezuela and Belarus, for example, survive by undermining democratic institutions and quashing free speech.