Masaaki Higashijima is Associate Professor of Political Science at Tohoku University, Japan.

• List of FiguresList of TablesList of Abbreviations Note on Translation and Transliteration PrefaceAcknowledgementsPart I Puzzles and ArgumentsChapter 1 IntroductionChapter 2 A Theory of Autocratic ElectionsPart II Cross-National ExplorationsChapter 3 Blatant Electoral FraudChapter 4 Institutional ManipulationChapter 5 Economic ManeuveringChapter 6 Backfiring at the Ballot BoxPart III Comparative Case StudiesChapter 7 From Electoral Manipulation to Economic Maneuvering: Nazarbaev’s KazakhstanChapter 8 From Electoral Manipulation to Autocratic Breakdown: Akaev’s KyrgyzstanChapter 9 ConclusionReferencesAppendix

“Why don’t dictators simply rig elections? In this timely and insightful book, Higashijima explores how authoritarian leaders assess the costs and benefits of fraud, sometimes turning instead to economic tools to secure victories. With cross-national data and detailed case studies, he examines not just the choices dictators make, but also what happens when they miscalculate.” —Daniel Treisman, Professor of Political Science, University of California, Los Angeles, and co-author of Spin Dictators: The Changing Face of Tyranny in the 21st Century