Alastair Smith is the Bernhardt Denmark Chair of International Relations at New York University, professor of political science in the Wilf Family Department of Politics, and co-author (with Bruce Bueno de Mesquita) of The Dictator’s Handbook: Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics. Subscribe to the podcast: http://jordanharbinger.com/subscribe Full show notes can be found here: https://jordanharbinger.com/794 What We Discuss with Alastair: 0:00 - Why bad behavior is politically rewarded 21:05 - Politicians aren't rewarded for being good 30:13 - Jack Ma's (Alibaba) vanishing 38:39 - Why North Korea does secret successions of power 42:16 - Russian czar and the vodka tax 58:19 - Dictators are incentivized to go in extreme debt 1:07:11 - Why democracies have literally twisty driving roads 1:08:53 - Why dictators want incompetent elites 1:17:56 - Why Putin throws soldiers into Ukraine but doesn't think he'll win 1:27:37 - Why punishing dictators can lead to a worse outcome 1:30:41 - Why we give foreign aid to bad people 1:52:33 - Why don't citizens of a dictatorship revolt? What makes dictators tick? How do they think? Why are they able to stay in power — sometimes for generations — when they serve their own needs above those of the people they purport to represent? On this two-part episode, we’re joined by Alastair Smith, the Bernhardt Denmark Chair of International Relations at New York University, professor of political science in the Wilf Family Department of Politics, and co-author (with Bruce Bueno de Mesquita) of The Dictator’s Handbook: Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics. Here, we discuss corruption, power games, how dictators come to power and remain in power at all costs, and delve into why dictators hate freedom, media, the press, and seemingly their own citizens. We’ll also explore why foreign aid is a trap that empowers dictators, and why these types of regimes tend to do very poorly economically and in the aftermath of natural disasters. Listen, learn, and enjoy! Get the BEST highlights from each episode on our clips channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-cxPJ7QxPE8M7EYe5Vv7ag Want to watch more in-depth interviews with some of the world’s most amazing and successful people? Find full episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNbAQB8BYtM&list=PLxuPu-uyanrrBgAl5-76enemxVsxFjnEQ&index=1 Welcome to The Jordan Harbinger Show, a video podcast where each week you get to join a conversation with some of the world’s highest performers and incredible personalities. I’ll ask them the tough questions to tease out their top tips so that you can reach levels of personal growth and mastery that you never imagined possible. Learn more about Jordan: http://jordanharbinger.com/about #podcast #jhs