---
title: "2 Dictators Quotes By Bruce Bueno de Mesquita"
description: "2 Dictators quotes by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita. Plus more from Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and more Dictators sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/530/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita-31658_become_dictators-unlike-democrats-depend-on-a-s_1594955.jpg"
---

> [Dictators, unlike Democrats, depend on a small coterie to sustain their power. These backers, generally drawn from the military, the senior civil service, and family or clan members, have a synergistic relationship with their dictator. The dictator delivers opportunities for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/dictators-unlike-democrats-depend-on-a-small-coterie-to-sustain-their/)

[Bruce Bueno de Mesquita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/530/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita-31658_become_dictators-unlike-democrats-depend-on-a-s_1594955.jpg)

> [To understand why dictators fall, it helps to recognise factors that produce a perfect anti-dictatorial storm. Barring missteps such as those that led to Gaddafi's undoing, a dictator's survival can be at risk because of newness in office, poor health,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/to-understand-why-dictators-fall-it-helps-to-recognise-factors-that/)

[Bruce Bueno de Mesquita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa0/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita-31658_age_to-understand-why-dictators-fall-it-help_2084197.jpg)

## Other authors on Dictators

- [Mona Eltahawy 7 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictators/mona-eltahawy/)

## More by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita

> [I'm not an Iran expert.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/i-m-not-an-iran-expert/)

[Bruce Bueno de Mesquita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/)

> [We probably could more successfully resolve the North Korean nuclear threat through game-theoretic reasoning. We could successfully resolve what American leaders seem to perceive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/we-probably-could-more-successfully-resolve-the-north-korean-nuclear/)

[Bruce Bueno de Mesquita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/)

> [We really can't tell the difference between people who might seek power for some greater good and people who seek power just to aggrandize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/we-really-can-t-tell-the-difference-between-people-who-might-seek/)

[Bruce Bueno de Mesquita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/)

> [I engage in the use of game theory. Game theory is a branch of mathematics, and that means, sorry, that even in the study…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/i-engage-in-the-use-of-game-theory-game-theory-is-a-branch-of/)

[Bruce Bueno de Mesquita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/)

> [If you're running a dictatorship, you don't really have to worry about the welfare or the property rights of the ordinary citizen. Only the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/if-you-re-running-a-dictatorship-you-don-t-really-have-to-worry-about/)

[Bruce Bueno de Mesquita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/)

> [I think almost all strategic problems could at least be improved upon if people would do more careful game-theoretic analysis. The reason game theory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/i-think-almost-all-strategic-problems-could-at-least-be-improved-upon/)

[Bruce Bueno de Mesquita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/)

> [The fact that we see some people doing what appears to be good civic-minded deeds may be because that is their true intention, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/the-fact-that-we-see-some-people-doing-what-appears-to-be-good-civic/)

[Bruce Bueno de Mesquita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/)

> [“Democracies are not lucky. They do not attract civic-minded leaders by chance. Rather, they attract survival-oriented leaders who understand that, given their dependence on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/democracies-are-not-lucky-they-do-not-attract-civic-minded-leaders-by/)

[Bruce Bueno De Mesquita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/)

> [There is an interesting interplay between power corrupting and corruption empowering. The causality does not go one way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/there-is-an-interesting-interplay-between-power-corrupting-and/)

[Bruce Bueno de Mesquita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/)

> [Dictators, unlike Democrats, depend on a small coterie to sustain their power. These backers, generally drawn from the military, the senior civil service, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/dictators-unlike-democrats-depend-on-a-small-coterie-to-sustain-their/)

[Bruce Bueno de Mesquita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/)

> [Pretty much, you point to a problem and good reasoning about why people are doing what they are doing and what constraints they face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/pretty-much-you-point-to-a-problem-and-good-reasoning-about-why/)

[Bruce Bueno de Mesquita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/)

> [There are lots of people shaping decisions, and so if we want to predict correctly, we have to pay attention to everybody who is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/there-are-lots-of-people-shaping-decisions-and-so-if-we-want-to/)

[Bruce Bueno de Mesquita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/)

> [To understand why dictators fall, it helps to recognise factors that produce a perfect anti-dictatorial storm. Barring missteps such as those that led to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/to-understand-why-dictators-fall-it-helps-to-recognise-factors-that/)

[Bruce Bueno de Mesquita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/)

> [I'm not engaged in predicting random number generators. I actually get phone calls from people who want to know what lottery numbers are going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/i-m-not-engaged-in-predicting-random-number-generators-i-actually-get/)

[Bruce Bueno de Mesquita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/)

> [In order to predict effectively, we need to use science. And the reason that we need to use science is because then we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/in-order-to-predict-effectively-we-need-to-use-science-and-the-reason/)

[Bruce Bueno de Mesquita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita/)

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