William R. Thompson is Distinguished Professor and Rogers Chair of Political Science Emeritus in the Department of Political Science at Indiana University. Leila Zakhirova is Chair and Professor in the Political Science Department at Concordia College.

'Thompson and Zakhirova build upon their novel observation regarding the geographic distribution of authoritarianism, refusing simple explanations, and providing a master class on assembling important insights from half a dozen academic fields.' Robert A. Denemark, Department of Political Science, University of Delaware

• 1. The argument; 2. Other long-term influences; 3. Our model; 4. Three prominent Eastern Eurasian cases: China, Iran, and Russia; 5. The Middle Eastern and North African variant; 6. The sub-Saharan African Variant; 7. Caveats on the protected zone idea: Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Americas; 8. Democracies, autocracies, heartlands, and rimlands.

William R. Thompson is Distinguished Professor and Rogers Chair of Political Science Emeritus in the Department of Political Science at Indiana University. Leila Zakhirova is Chair and Professor in the Political Science Department at Concordia College.

'Thompson and Zakhirova build upon their novel observation regarding the geographic distribution of authoritarianism, refusing simple explanations, and providing a master class on assembling important insights from half a dozen academic fields.' Robert A. Denemark, Department of Political Science, University of Delaware

• 1. The argument; 2. Other long-term influences; 3. Our model; 4. Three prominent Eastern Eurasian cases: China, Iran, and Russia; 5. The Middle Eastern and North African variant; 6. The sub-Saharan African Variant; 7. Caveats on the protected zone idea: Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Americas; 8. Democracies, autocracies, heartlands, and rimlands.

William R. Thompson is Distinguished Professor and Rogers Chair of Political Science Emeritus in the Department of Political Science at Indiana University. Leila Zakhirova is Chair and Professor in the Political Science Department at Concordia College.

'Thompson and Zakhirova build upon their novel observation regarding the geographic distribution of authoritarianism, refusing simple explanations, and providing a master class on assembling important insights from half a dozen academic fields.' Robert A. Denemark, Department of Political Science, University of Delaware

• 1. The argument; 2. Other long-term influences; 3. Our model; 4. Three prominent Eastern Eurasian cases: China, Iran, and Russia; 5. The Middle Eastern and North African variant; 6. The sub-Saharan African Variant; 7. Caveats on the protected zone idea: Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Americas; 8. Democracies, autocracies, heartlands, and rimlands.