The Logic of Political Survival

In recent years, the boundaries between international relations and comparative politics have become ever more porous. This book represents the first full-scale integration of the two fields, adding dramatically to both. Political scientists will be confronting its theory and evidence for years to come. ~Barry Weingast, Ward C. Krebs Family Professor of Political Science, Stanford University

The Logic of Political Survival takes up the big question that has long puzzled social scientists of all stripes—why do governments that cripple or destroy their own societies survive in office for so long? The authors offer a detailed and convincing theory and subject that theory to withering examination by the data. A must-read for anyone who seeks to understand the fate of nations. ~William Easterly, Professor of Economics, New York University, and author of The Elusive Quest for Growth

This widely anticipated book addresses fundamental questions in international and comparative politics: why do democratic leaders typically govern with less corruption, more prosperity, and less war for their peoples? Combining rigorous formal logic, systematic empirical analysis, and wide-ranging historical examples, the authors' excellent work will draw great attention and stimulate much further research. ~Bruce Russett, Dean Acheson Professor of International Relations, Yale University