Alexander Dukalskis, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the School of Politics and International Relations at University College Dublin, Ireland. His work has been published in several journals, including Review of International Studies, Human Rights Quarterly, Journal of Peace Research, International Studies Review, and Democratization. His book The Authoritarian Public Sphere was published in 2017.Johannes Gerschewski, Ph.D., is a Lecturer at Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany. Previously, he was a Research Fellow at the Berlin Social Science Center (WZB). His work has been published or is forthcoming in, among others, Perspectives on Politics, Politische Vierteljahresschrift, and Democratization, which awarded him in 2013 with the Frank Cass Prize for Best Article by a Young Scholar.

The 'third wave' assumption that only (liberal) democracy commands political legitimacy is well past its sell-by date. 'Justifying Dictatorship' offers much needed new perspectives on the highly topical theme of autocratic legitimation.Peter Burnell, Emeritus Professor, University of Warwick, UK.

• 1. What autocracies say (and what citizens hear): proposing four mechanisms of autocratic legitimation Alexander Dukalskis and Johannes Gerschewski 2. The relevance of legitimation – a new framework for analysis Christian von Haldenwang 3. Identity, procedures and performance: how authoritarian regimes legitimize their rule Christian von Soest and Julia Grauvogel 4. What makes political authorities legitimate? Students’ ideas about legitimacy in five European democracies and hybrid regimes Honorata Mazepus 5. Out of the shadows: autocratic regimes, election observation and legitimation Maria J. Debre and Lee Morgenbesser 6. Social services to claim legitimacy: comparing autocracies’ performance Andrea Cassani

Alexander Dukalskis, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the School of Politics and International Relations at University College Dublin, Ireland. His work has been published in several journals, including Review of International Studies, Human Rights Quarterly, Journal of Peace Research, International Studies Review, and Democratization. His book The Authoritarian Public Sphere was published in 2017.Johannes Gerschewski, Ph.D., is a Lecturer at Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany. Previously, he was a Research Fellow at the Berlin Social Science Center (WZB). His work has been published or is forthcoming in, among others, Perspectives on Politics, Politische Vierteljahresschrift, and Democratization, which awarded him in 2013 with the Frank Cass Prize for Best Article by a Young Scholar.

The 'third wave' assumption that only (liberal) democracy commands political legitimacy is well past its sell-by date. 'Justifying Dictatorship' offers much needed new perspectives on the highly topical theme of autocratic legitimation.Peter Burnell, Emeritus Professor, University of Warwick, UK.

• 1. What autocracies say (and what citizens hear): proposing four mechanisms of autocratic legitimation Alexander Dukalskis and Johannes Gerschewski 2. The relevance of legitimation – a new framework for analysis Christian von Haldenwang 3. Identity, procedures and performance: how authoritarian regimes legitimize their rule Christian von Soest and Julia Grauvogel 4. What makes political authorities legitimate? Students’ ideas about legitimacy in five European democracies and hybrid regimes Honorata Mazepus 5. Out of the shadows: autocratic regimes, election observation and legitimation Maria J. Debre and Lee Morgenbesser 6. Social services to claim legitimacy: comparing autocracies’ performance Andrea Cassani

Alexander Dukalskis, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the School of Politics and International Relations at University College Dublin, Ireland. His work has been published in several journals, including Review of International Studies, Human Rights Quarterly, Journal of Peace Research, International Studies Review, and Democratization. His book The Authoritarian Public Sphere was published in 2017.Johannes Gerschewski, Ph.D., is a Lecturer at Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany. Previously, he was a Research Fellow at the Berlin Social Science Center (WZB). His work has been published or is forthcoming in, among others, Perspectives on Politics, Politische Vierteljahresschrift, and Democratization, which awarded him in 2013 with the Frank Cass Prize for Best Article by a Young Scholar.

The 'third wave' assumption that only (liberal) democracy commands political legitimacy is well past its sell-by date. 'Justifying Dictatorship' offers much needed new perspectives on the highly topical theme of autocratic legitimation.Peter Burnell, Emeritus Professor, University of Warwick, UK.

• 1. What autocracies say (and what citizens hear): proposing four mechanisms of autocratic legitimation Alexander Dukalskis and Johannes Gerschewski 2. The relevance of legitimation – a new framework for analysis Christian von Haldenwang 3. Identity, procedures and performance: how authoritarian regimes legitimize their rule Christian von Soest and Julia Grauvogel 4. What makes political authorities legitimate? Students’ ideas about legitimacy in five European democracies and hybrid regimes Honorata Mazepus 5. Out of the shadows: autocratic regimes, election observation and legitimation Maria J. Debre and Lee Morgenbesser 6. Social services to claim legitimacy: comparing autocracies’ performance Andrea Cassani