Maxwell African Scholars Union presents: Explaining Autocratic Elections

Maxwell African Scholars Union Presents: Explaining Autocratic Elections by Seiki Tanaka Most dictators hold elections today – yet these elections vary in terms of competitiveness and fairness. Why are some elections mere façades, while others are close to being fraud-free and fair? Conventional wisdom argues that the more resources dictators have, the less likely they are to introduce the latter type. But in an era of increased domestic and international pressure to democratize, dictators who have sufficient resources tend to distribute them to win elections. Seiki Tanaka is a post-doctoral fellow with the Institute for Security and Counter-Terrorism at Syracuse University. He is also a consultant for Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and a former research associate at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA). He holds a Ph.D. and MA in Political Science from the University of Tokyo, Japan. Lunch Will Be Served January 25, 2013 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm 209 Eggers Hall