It's Good to Be King: Ruler Type and Perceptions of Democracy in Authoritarian Regimes.
Why might some authoritarian rulers be better than others at presenting themselves as democrats? This article argues that autocratic monarchs can more easily obscure their authoritarianism than autocratic presidents because of divergent expectations about how monarchs and presidents relate to democracy. People expect presidents but not monarchs to represent the people and be subjected to electoral competition; as a result, presidents who seek to rule for life and refrain from participating in free elections will demonstrate their authoritarianism clearly while monarchs will not. To support this argument, I draw on evidence from five waves of Arab Barometer data, survey experiments implemented in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, and the United States, and a case study of opposition in monarchies and republics during the Arab Spring. The article provides insights into the the surprising durability of ruling monarchies and the importance of democracy for popular politics in authoritarian regimes.