Bruce Bueno de Mesquita: The Five Rules of Power Politics | Big Think

Summary

The transcript discusses the principles of political power, contrasting democratic and authoritarian governance. It highlights Machiavelli's views from 'The Prince' and 'Discourses,' noting that a republic is best for the people but not ideal for maintaining power. The speaker explains the 'five rules of politics' for leaders to stay in power: relying on a small group of supporters, keeping a large replacement pool, taxing citizens maximally without provoking revolt, distributing minimal resources to loyalists, and balancing public policy with private rewards. The differences between democracies and dictatorships are explored in terms of governance efficiency and stability.

Takeaways

• 📚 Machiavelli wrote *The Prince* hoping to gain employment, but failed due to being too nice and not tough enough.
• 📰 While most people know *The Prince*, fewer are familiar with Machiavelli's *Discourses*, where he advocated for a more republican, democratic form of government.
• ⚖️ Democracy is the best form of government for citizens but the worst for leaders who want to maintain power, as it increases their risk of losing control.
• 🛠️ The *Dictator’s Handbook* outlines five rules of politics that go beyond Machiavelli's understanding, offering insights on holding onto power.
• 👥 Rule 1: Leaders should rely on as few people as possible to maintain power.
• 🌍 Rule 2: The pool of potential supporters should be as large as possible to keep current allies aware that they are easily replaceable.
• 💰 Rule 3: Tax the people as highly as possible without discouraging work or inciting revolt to generate revenue for personal enrichment and crony rewards.
• 🎁 Rule 4: Reward the coalition with the minimum necessary to maintain loyalty, avoiding spending resources on the general public, who do not keep the leader in power.
• 🔄 Rule 5: Democracies, due to their large coalitions, are forced to produce public goods, while dictators with smaller coalitions can focus on private rewards.
• 🏦 Leaders with surplus revenue can either hoard it in private accounts or invest it in the public, though investment success varies depending on their competence.

Q & A

Who was Machiavelli and why did he write *The Prince*?

Machiavelli was an Italian diplomat, philosopher, and writer who authored *The Prince* in an attempt to attract employment by offering advice on how rulers could maintain power. However, he failed to get the position he sought because his approach was considered too lenient.

What is Machiavelli's view on the best form of government as expressed in his discourses?

In his discourses, Machiavelli expressed that the best form of government is a republican or democratic form, where power is shared among many people. He believed that, from the perspective of the common people, this was the best system, though not necessarily from a ruler’s perspective.

How does the speaker compare Machiavelli's views to the ideas in *The Dictator's Handbook*?

*The Dictator's Handbook* goes beyond Machiavelli’s ideas, detailing how leaders maintain power through strategic manipulation. It contrasts Machiavelli’s more democratic ideals with the practical strategies dictators use to secure and hold power.

What is the first rule of politics according to the speaker?

The first rule of politics is to depend on as few people as possible to maintain power. This reduces the chances of being overthrown and makes controlling the support base easier.

Why does the speaker say it's important to have a large pool of people to draw support from?

Having a large pool of potential supporters ensures that the small group keeping the leader in power knows they can easily be replaced, keeping them loyal and obedient.

What is the role of elections in rigged systems, according to the speaker?

In rigged election systems, the role of elections is not to confer legitimacy but to signal to the ruling coalition that they are easily replaceable. The outcome is already known, so the elections serve as a warning to remain loyal.

How does the speaker describe the relationship between taxation and control in authoritarian regimes?

Authoritarian leaders want to tax their people as much as possible to enrich themselves and bribe supporters, but not so much that people stop working or rebel. It's a balance between maximizing revenue and avoiding revolt.

What is the difference in the way dictators and democrats distribute rewards to supporters?

Dictators rely on a small coalition and can efficiently buy loyalty with private goods (rewards specific to the coalition). In contrast, democrats depend on a larger coalition and must provide public goods that benefit the general population because bribing a large group is too expensive.

Why do leaders in democracies produce more public goods than dictators?

Leaders in democracies are forced to produce more public goods because they rely on the support of a large coalition. Bribing millions of people with private rewards would be too costly, so they must provide policies that benefit the broader population.

What are two ways leaders can use leftover revenue in small coalition systems?

Leaders with leftover revenue in small coalition systems can either hide it in secret bank accounts for personal gain, or they can invest it in projects aimed at improving the economy or public welfare, though the effectiveness of this depends on their governance strategies.