Defining kleptocracy: A first step toward victory

Washington is abuzz with talk of “kleptocracy.” Some institutions are working on the national security implications of “rule by theft” and some have identified it as the top threat of the 21st Century — the root of global corruption, instability, and terrorism. Others believe that Western democracies are becoming kleptocratic, contributing to internal threats. But the term needs proper context before policymakers can craft appropriate responses to the challenges it poses.

Ilham Aliyev, the famously corrupt President of Azerbaijan, tweeted last week that his country “is successfully developing along the path of democracy.” For serious scholars of authoritarianism, this assertion is the equivalent of Robert Mugabe’s 2013 claim of “delivering democracy on a platter” or China’s confusing constitutional designation as a “democratic dictatorship.” Russia, Egypt, and yes, North Korea all claim to be democracies as well.

 
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