BOOK LAUNCH ‘How to rig an election - And how to better safeguard democracy’

Thu 25 October 2018

Seminar room 4 Simon Sainbury Centre

Professor Nic Cheeseman (Professor of Democracy at the University of Birmingham) and Dr Brian Klass (Fellow in Comparative Politics at the London School of Economics)

Contrary to what is commonly believed, authoritarian regimes that hold elections are generally able to remain in power longer than those that refuse to allow the populace to vote.

Calling upon first-hand experiences from elections in Brazil, India, Nigeria, Russia, and the United States, Dr Klaas and Professor Cheeseman expose the limitations of national elections as a means of promoting democratisation, revealing the six essential strategies that dictators use to undermine the electoral process in order to guarantee victory for themselves. They then reflect on how international actors, policy makers and political leaders can respond to better safeguard democracy.

Their book, How to Rig an Election, was the first to be used as the front cover of the Spectator magazine, and has been described as “Clear, punchy, and potentially revolutionary” by Michela Wrong, author of Our Turn to Eat, and “essential reading for everyone who wants to get democracy right again” by AC Grayling, author of War.

Signed copies of How to Rig an Election will be available at the event.

Cost: Free