All dictators need loyal elites to survive in office and govern effectively. High-level officials and other powerful figures can help an authoritarian ruler remain in power. These officials also assist in implementing policies, raising revenues, winning elections and punishing dissent.

In turn, most dictators tend to value loyalty over competence by rewarding more devoted officials. For instance, autocrats often reward those who are able to deliver higher votes for the ruling party. In turn, most dictators pay relatively less regard for whether such officials also deliver adequate policy performance.

Examining sycophancy can extend understanding of how autocracies work. As many observers have pointed out, Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine in 2022 may partly have been a result of him being surrounded by “yes-men”, and not receiving adequate information and the potential risks involved in such an operation.

While our recent study cannot confirm or reject this hypothesis, it has shown that widespread sycophancy was thriving in Putin’s Russia – even many years before the war.

According to recent research I carried out with two other academics, for authoritarian officials, displaying loyalty goes beyond merely ensuring high........

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